SEOUL-- The ruling Democratic Party (DP) said Tuesday it will seek to pass legislation this month to expand alternative statutory holidays.
The legislative initiative, if approved, will enable the designation of official alternative holidays for a broader range of national holidays that fall on weekends, according to party officials.
Currently, alternative statutory holidays are allowed only for Chuseok, Korea's autumn harvest celebration, Lunar New Year's Day and Children's Day in May in the case they fall on weekends.
"Designating alternative holidays is an undeniable imperative of our time," DP floor leader Rep. Yun Ho-jung said in a party meeting, unveiling the legislation plan.
"We will give you back lost red letter days. (The DP) will promptly pass a pending alternative holiday bill at the National Assembly within the provisional June parliamentary session."
The DP will seek to get the bill to take effect immediately so that the first alternative holiday under the envisioned legislation can be set for the upcoming Aug. 15 Korean Liberation Day, which falls on Sunday this year, the floor leader said.
For the rest of the year, three more national holidays that fall on weekends -- National Foundation Day, Hangeul Day and Christmas -- will be eligible to benefit from the envisioned bill.
"Our nation has become an advanced country that got invited to the meeting of the Group of Seven for the second consecutive year, but the (average) working hours by its workers are the second longest among the members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development," Yun said, adding that the new law will also help boost domestic consumption.
The legislation is part of several similar bills currently pending at the parliament to expand alternative holidays.
An opinion poll released in the day showed seven out of every 10 South Koreans are in favor of the idea of expanding alternative holidays.
According to the poll by T Bridge Corp., conducted on 1,012 voters nationwide from Friday-Saturday, 72.5 percent of the respondents threw their support behind expanding alternative statutory holidays. Another 25.1 percent were in opposition while the remaining 2.4 percent said they are not sure.
The poll, commissioned by DP legislator Seo Young-kyo, the chair of the parliamentary Public Administration and Security Committee, has a 95 percent confidence level with a margin of error at plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
"The parliamentary committee will conduct a public hearing and a review of the bill based on the results of this poll and in a way that can help guarantee people's equal right to rest and leisure," Seo said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency