Expanding Substitute Holidays in Korea

 

The substitute holidays system provides extra days off if public holidays fall on a weekend. This system was first introduced in Korea back in 2014 and applied for holidays like Seollal (Korean New Year), Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), or Children’s Day. When the listed holidays fell on a weekend or overlapped with another holiday, the following weekday was designated as a substitute holiday.

On June 29, the bill to expand substitute holidays was passed. As a result, Independence Movement Day, National Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, and Hangul Day were newly added to the substitute holiday system. The revised system was supposed to be enacted starting next year, but the presidential decree allowed the system to be applied starting 2021.

This year, substitute holidays will be applied for upcoming National Liberation Day on August 15, National Foundation Day on October 3, and Hangeul Day on October 9, which fall on weekends. Most institutes will close on substitute holidays, so please check the operating hours in advance!

Meanwhile, in accordance with the revision of the Labor Standards Act in 2018, holidays that were forced only for public agencies and institutes have also become mandatory for private companies that have 300 employees or more. In addition, since January of 2021, the law has further expanded to include businesses with 30 or more employees.

As of 2021, paid leave for substitute holidays is not mandatory for businesses with less than 30 people, but starting from January 2022, the law will guarantee paid leave for businesses with 5 to 29 employees.