More workers to get day off as Labor Day set to become public holiday

by Jo Hyun-jung Posted : March 26, 2026, 16:29Updated : March 26, 2026, 16:29
Protesters hold a rally calling for the observance of Labor Day in front of the National Assembly in Seoul on March 18 2026 Yonhap
Protesters hold a rally calling for the observance of Labor Day in front of the National Assembly in Seoul on March 18, 2026. Yonhap
SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - A bill to designate Labor Day as a statutory public holiday passed a committee in the National Assembly on Thursday.

If it clears the remaining legislative steps including Cabinet approval, May 1 will be observed as a public holiday, taking effect this year.

Labor Day was made a paid holiday in 1994, but public officials, teachers, and platform workers such as deliverymen have not been able to take the day off because they are not classified as employees under the relevant labor laws.