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National holiday on 17 July
Constitution Day
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Street along a road in
Seoul
during Constitution Day. Flags are hung up along street lights during this day.
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Official name
| Constitution Day
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Observed by
| South Koreans
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Type
| National celebration day but not a public office holiday
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Significance
| Marks the proclamation of the
South Korean constitution
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Date
| 17 July
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Next time
| 17 July 2024
(
2024-07-17
)
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Frequency
| Annual
|
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Constitution Day
or
Jeheonjeol
(
Korean
:
制憲節
) in
South Korea
is observed on 17 July, the day that the
South Korean constitution
was proclaimed in 1948. The date was deliberately chosen to match the founding date of 17 July of the
Joseon
dynasty.
[1]
Background
[
edit
]
Although the
Korean Peninsula
was liberated from
Japanese
rule by the
Allies
after the end of
World War II
on 15 August 1945, it was caught in the middle of a
Cold War
power struggle between the
Soviet Union
and the
United States
. It took until 1948 for a democratic election for
National Assembly
members to be held in South Korea. The elected assembly members set upon creating a constitution, and decided upon a presidential and
unicameral
system. The constitution was formally adopted on 12 July 1948 and promulgated by
South Korean President
Syngman Rhee
on 17 July 1948.
[2]
[3]
History
[
edit
]
Constitution Day was proclaimed to be a South Korean national holiday on 1 October 1949, with the creation of the
National Holiday Law
.
[
citation needed
]
Since 2008, Constitution Day in South Korea is no longer a "no work" public holiday,
[4]
following the restructure of laws regarding the public sector with a 40-hour work week. As a result, South Korea no longer has any official public holiday celebrating the nation of South Korea itself or its institutions.
[4]
It is however, still a national holiday for commemoration.
[2]
Activities
[
edit
]
On Constitution Day in South Korea, a commemorative ceremony is held with the President, Chairman of the National Assembly, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the original constitutional assembly members in attendance, and citizens hang the national flag in commemoration. Special activities such as
marathons
are often held.
[5]
See also
[
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]
References
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edit
]
External links
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]