By Kim Se-jeong
The government’s decision to designate Aug. 14, the day before Liberation Day, as a special holiday is drawing mixed reactions.
Those who can get the day off are busy looking to get away for the long weekend, while those who can’t feel the decision is unfair.
The government says the purpose of the special holiday is to encourage citizens to spend more money to give a boost to the sluggish domestic economy after the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) epidemic.
Public organizations must follow the decision, as well as schools and most banks, while private companies can choose whether to close or not.
Although the government encourages the latter to close, there are companies that will not.
The most complaints come from those at small and medium-sized businesses and the self-employed.
A small business owner criticized the government for its populist approach.
“I run a small business. I will have to work on Aug. 14 to make ends meet. But you know what? The government decision makes me feel like I am a loser who should work while everyone else is at home. It was a wrong decision,” he wrote on a portal site.
Another Internet user named Chae wrote, “Look at the economy. And look how much businesses suffer right now. I am curious how many people actually can take the day off.”
An employee of a small company in Seoul said she had an argument with her boyfriend over the long weekend.
“My company has less than 100 employees. I will not get the day off on Aug. 14,” she said. “But my boyfriend at a public company will be off, and he wanted to go somewhere for the weekend. I felt bad that I can’t.”
Working mothers are also among those worried because most childcare centers will be closed.
“My child gets a day off, and my husband and I will go to work. I know the scenario all too well. Wish I could quit my job or leave Korea,” a working mother in Seoul wrote on an online community of mothers.
Contrary to this, people working in the public sector and employees of big conglomerates welcome the decision the most.
Hanwha, Samsung and LG said they would join the initiative. The financial markets, including the stock market, will also stay closed. The number who will enjoy the extra holiday is expected to be 3 million.
The tourism and hotel sectors are cheering the decision. They suffered huge drops in the number of tourists during the MERS outbreak, especially Chinese.
Amy Kwon, an official at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, said room reservations increased by 7 percent after the special holiday announcement. “Inquiries about the room availability on Aug. 14 have skyrocketed,” she said.
Travel agencies are also having a flood of inquiries for tour programs on that weekend. Transportation authorities expect about 5 million cars to hit expressways nationwide on Aug. 14, similar to the number on last year’s Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving Day.