Lee orders review to reinstate Constitution Day as public holiday

President Lee Jae-myung speaks at a meeting with senior aides and secretaries at the presidential office in Seoul on July 17, 2025. /Yonhap

President Lee Jae-myung on July 17 ordered senior aides to review a plan to reinstate Constitution Day as a public holiday.

At a meeting with senior aides and secretaries, Lee said Constitution Day, held annually on July 17, should be commemorated with greater significance. “It could be an opportunity for the public to reflect on the spirit of the Constitution and the principle of popular sovereignty,” he added.

During the meeting, amid concerns over nationwide flood damage, Lee also warned that “even the smallest error cannot be allowed when it comes to protecting lives.” He emphasized, “The state’s top responsibility is to safeguard the lives and safety of its people.”

Lee called for thorough safety inspections and swift responses in high-risk areas prone to flooding and landslides, including semi-basement homes, underpasses, underground parking lots, flood-prone riverbanks, landslide zones, and retaining walls.

Regarding the death of a worker due to a fall at POSCO’s Gwangyang steel plant on July 14, Lee ordered a swift and thorough investigation, emphasizing that those responsible must be held strictly accountable. He also instructed the immediate hiring of 300 additional labor inspectors and called for a review of granting special judicial police powers to public servants.