By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
May 21 has been designated as married couples’ day.
The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs Tuesday declared May 21 as the day to celebrate marriage _ the root of family.
``Modern society is suffering from broken families because of divorce. It is important to celebrate marriages as it is a big part in not only an individual’s life, but also in society,’’ a ministry spokesman said.
The date is fixed by law, and like children’s day on May 5 and parents’ day on May 8, it will be celebrated with various events. The date 21 stands for ``two (2) become one (1).’’
The government designated two other days as well; World Korean Day on Oct. 5 and the June 10 Democratic Resistance Movement Day.
The former was designated to enhance the status of Koreans living abroad and to promote the harmony of cultural integration. The day falls between the National Foundation Day (Oct. 3) and Hangul Day (Oct. 9), a day commemorating Korean characters.
The latter is designed to commemorate those who took to the streets to topple the dictatorship and restore democracy to the nation.
On June. 10, 1987, politicians and civilians protested on the streets asking for the then Chun Doo-hwan dictatorship to end. More than a million are said to have participated in the protest, resulting in the adoption of a direct presidential election.
All three days are public anniversaries, but are not holidays.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr