President Yoon Plans to Make Armed Forces Day a Public Holiday Next Year

Proposal to Designate October 1 as Armed Forces Day Public Holiday
Comparison with Bastille Day in France

The Ministry of National Defense is considering designating October 1, Armed Forces Day, as a temporary public holiday next year.

While the Armed Forces Day event stages a grand spectacle with the participation of advanced forces from the army, navy, and air force, there have been many criticisms that it has fallen into a self-celebration for the military due to a significant decrease in general spectators. A plan is to elevate it to a national event where the army and citizens unite—striving to emulate France’s renowned Bastille Day military parade, commemorating the French Revolution every July 14.

Ministry of National Defense’s Considerations

An official from the Ministry of National Defense has pointed out that since 1991, when Armed Forces Day ceased to be a public holiday, there has been substantial criticism regarding the parade’s shift towards becoming more of a self-congratulatory military event. This shift has resulted in a diminished original significance of this national day. Drawing a comparison to France’s tradition of holding an official military display on the Champs-Elysées during the Revolution Memorial Day celebrations, which is observed worldwide, there is ongoing consideration about temporarily designating next year’s Armed Forces Day as a public holiday. This proposed move aims to transform it into a festive occasion everyone can celebrate.

He elaborated in his remarks, stating, “The central objective for the upcoming year’s Armed Forces Day is to transform it into a platform that fosters unity and festivity among both the military and the general populace. We are contemplating possibly organizing a parade to stimulate domestic economic activity. Our proposal has been officially communicated to the President, and ongoing deliberations occur between the Presidential Office and the Ministry of National Defense. Ultimately, the decision lies in the hands of President Yoon Suk Yeol. It’s worth noting that next year’s Armed Forces Day falls on a weekday, Tuesday, October 1.”

Increasing Budget for Next Year’s Celebration

According to military sources, this year’s Armed Forces Day event was adversely affected by rain, preventing the full display of the ceremonial events prepared by each army branch to the public. This left both the military and the Presidential Office feeling regretful. Therefore, the Ministry of National Defense will hold a parade for next year’s Armed Forces Day event. According to the 2024 budget proposal submitted by the Ministry of Defense to the National Assembly, the budget allocated for next year’s Armed Forces Day event is approximately 12 billion won ($10.1 million), which represents an increase of about 1.81 billion won ($1.5 million) from this year’s budget of 10.19 billion won ($8.6 million). In contrast, the 2022 budget, when there was no parade, was 7.98 billion won ($6.7 million).

In response to a reporter’s question about whether there will be a parade on next year’s Armed Forces Day, Jeon Ha Kyu, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, stated, “Once the budget is decided, the direction can be specified, so I can’t give a definitive answer regarding the parade.” He added, “We received a lot of support and backing from the public for this year’s event, so if we decide to hold a parade, we plan to organize an event that can display the dignity of the armed forces and be a fun occasion for the public to enjoy together.”

Balancing the Dignity of Armed Forces and Public Enjoyment

The Armed Forces Day commemoration parade is not simply a show demonstrating our military’s power. It carries the meaning of commemorating the recapture of Seoul during the Korean War. It is a designated day to show the power and combat power of the Korean military both domestically and internationally and to boost the army’s morale.

October 1, 1950, is the day when the Korean military broke through the 38th parallel after counterattacking the invading North Korean communist army. It was established by Presidential Decree 1173 on September 21, 1956, to commemorate the significance of this day. Armed Forces Day conducts various commemorative events that boost the military’s morale and cultivate combat capabilities and has held large-scale commemorative events every five years. The parade began downtown Seoul on the 30th Armed Forces Day in 1978.

Previous Administrations’ Approach to Parades

The former administration did not hold a city parade in downtown Seoul on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces on October 1, 2018. There was an intention not to provoke North Korea with a show of force as the North-U.S. denuclearization negotiations were in full swing. Performances by Psy and K-pop girl groups replaced the parade. However, the current administration held a parade again in downtown Seoul on September 26 to commemorate Armed Forces Day on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces. It was the first time in 10 years since the Park Geun-hye administration in 2013.

More than 4,000 military soldiers and 170 pieces of equipment were mobilized for the parade that day. For the first time, 300 combat unit members of the U.S. Forces Korea also marched with our military on Armed Forces Day. Despite the unfavorable weather conditions, numerous citizens gathered at the commemoration site and lined the parade route stretching from Sungnyemun to Gwanghwamun to support the soldiers. President Yoon Suk Yeol also appeared at the parade location after the commemoration and joined the parade. He created a vibrant celebration of Armed Forces Day alongside the public.

By. Lee Hyun Ho