The government has decided that alternative holidays will only be designated for national holidays, now including March First Independence Movement Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day.

The Ministry of Personnel Management announced on Thursday that it would issue on Friday an advance notice of revisions to regulations on designating alternate holidays which would bring about such changes. 

With the changes, the Mondays following Liberation Day, National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day will be designated alternative holidays this year as all three fall on the weekend. 

With the latest additions, alternative holidays will be allowed for eleven out of the country’s 15 holidays. Such a designation would not apply for Buddha’s Birthday and Christmas which are public, not national, holidays. 

In the revisions, the government also clarified that the designation of temporary holidays must be carried out through a Cabinet vote.