South Korean workers will be given an official 10-day break in October this year after President Moon Jae-in approved a cabinet proposal to designate October 2 as a one-off holiday.
October 2 is a working day that comes ahead of the three-day Chuseok holiday, followed by the October 6 alternative holiday for National Foundation Day and the October 9 holiday commemorating the invention of the Korean alphabet, Hangeul.
At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, October 2 became a temporary holiday to give workers a long break. Chuseok is one of South Korea's biggest holidays and families gather for a reunion or to share food and pay homage to ancestors.
Moon, who has stressed the importance of rest in a society known for long working hours and short vacations, said this year's 10-day break would help spur domestic consumption and economic activity.
"If October 2 is designated as a temporary holiday, people can have an unprecedentedly long 10-day holiday," he told a cabinet meeting. "I hope the break would provide a good time for rest and comfort as well as an opportunity to spur domestic consumption and economic activity.