Lee Jae Myung pledges support for altering South Korea's fundamental law
South Korea's Constitution Day, initially a public holiday, has not been reinstated since its removal in 2008. The day, which marks the promulgation of the country's first Constitution on July 17, 1949, was excluded from the list of public holidays as part of government efforts to boost corporate productivity after the introduction of the five-day workweek.
However, in recent years, there has been a significant political push to restore Constitution Day's status as a public holiday. On the 77th anniversary of the Constitution Day, President Lee Jae-myung publicly proposed reviewing plans for its redesignation. Lawmakers have also been active in proposing bills to this effect, with a recent proposal suggesting the application of alternative holidays when Constitution Day falls on weekends.
The reinstatement of Constitution Day is seen as a means to honour the spirit of the Constitution and public sovereignty, particularly in light of recent democratic developments in the country. The redesignation is also aimed at upholding the spirit of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising in May 1980, as per President Lee Jae Myung.
The potential socioeconomic impact of redesignating Constitution Day is noteworthy. According to a report by the National Assembly Research Service, the redesignation could boost the domestic economy and guarantee people's right to rest. Kwak, one of the proposing lawmakers, suggested that the redesignation could have a positive impact on the economy.
Since 2008, there have been 17 bills aimed at reinstating Constitution Day as a public holiday. Reps. Kwak Sang-eon and Kang Dae-sik have each introduced revision bills to add Constitution Day to the list of public holidays. The conservative Lee Myung-bak administration delisted Constitution Day as a public holiday in 2008.
Recently, Kang and 10 other members of the People Power Party proposed a similar bill to revise the Act on Public Holidays. President Lee Jae Myung has also shown his commitment to a new amendment to the Constitution that is "citizen-centered." In a meeting he presided over at his office in Seoul, he asked his secretaries to consider redesignating Constitution Day as a public holiday.
As of July 2025, Constitution Day remains officially a commemorative day but not a public holiday. The redesignation is under consideration but has not yet been formally enacted. Lawmakers continue to push for Constitution Day to be designated as a full public holiday, shedding light on the role of the Constitution in safeguarding democracy.
- The push to redesignate South Korea's Constitution Day as a public holiday is a significant development in the realm of policy-and-legislation, with lawmakers proposing bills and President Lee Jae-myung publicly advocating for the change.
- The potential socioeconomic impact of redesignating Constitution Day extends beyond just the economy, with the redesignation seen as a way to uphold the spirit of democracy and public sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of this issue in the broader context of politics and general news.
