Constitution Day or Jeheonjeol (;
hanja: 制憲節) in
South Korea is observed on 17 July, the day that the
South Korean constitution
The Constitution of the Republic of Korea () is the supreme law of South Korea. It was promulgated on July 17, 1948, and last revised on October 29, 1987.
Background The Provisional Charter of Korea
The preamble of the Constitution of South ...
was proclaimed in 1948. The date was deliberately chosen to match the founding date of 17 July of the
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
dynasty.
Background
Although the
Korean Peninsula was liberated from
Imperial Japanese rule by the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
at the end of
World War II on 15 August 1945, it was caught in the middle of a
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
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
Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960.
Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...
on 17 July 1948.
[Constitution Day (제헌절)]
at ''Doosan Encyclopedia
''Doosan Encyclopedia'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by Doosan Donga (두산동아). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (동아원색세계대백과사전), which comprises 30 volumes and began to be p ...
''
History
Constitution Day was proclaimed to be a South Korean national holiday on 1 October 1949, with the creation of the ''National Holiday Law''.
Since 2008, Constitution Day in South Korea is no longer a "no work" public holiday, following the restructure of laws regarding the public sector with a 40-hour work week. It is still a national holiday for commemoration.
Activities
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
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
s are often held.
A million walking together
Nanum News, 3 September 2009. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
See also
* Public holidays in South Korea
References
External links
*{{in lang, ko}
Musical score for the song played on Constitution Day
South Korean culture
Observances in South Korea
July observances
Korea, South
Summer events in South Korea