Oct. 23 designated as new national Renewable Energy Day

As South Korea pushes toward a decarbonized, electricity-centered economy, the government is elevating "Renewable Energy Day" — previously observed only by the private sector — to an official national commemorative holiday, with state-led events to follow.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety recently put forward a proposed revision to the regulation governing national commemorative days and holidays.

Under the proposed amendment, Oct. 23 would be designated annually as Renewable Energy Day. The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy would oversee events aimed at raising public awareness of carbon neutrality and the importance of expanding renewable energy, as well as promoting the renewable energy industry.

National commemorative days are government-designated occasions to mark the significance of specific dates; well-known examples include Arbor Day (April 5), Labor Day (May 1) and Children's Day (May 5). Such days may include official ceremonies — as with Armed Forces Day (Oct. 1) and Farmers' Day (Nov. 11) — but are not necessarily public holidays.

Renewable Energy Day was originally established in 2019 by academics and civic groups to commemorate the Korea International Renewable Energy Conference, which opened at COEX in Seoul that year, and to promote the need for renewable energy and the importance of carbon neutrality.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety said the designation was intended "to promote overcoming the climate crisis and achieving carbon neutrality through renewable energy expansion, green industry development and technological innovation."

The ministry added that the day "will serve as a platform for nationwide public communication and consensus-building to raise awareness of the climate crisis and to boost the spread of renewable energy and the vitalization of related industry ecosystems."

The proposed revision also includes changes to the agencies overseeing several existing commemorative days: oversight of Arbor Day would shift from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to the Korea Forest Service; Admiral Yi Sun-sin's birthday commemoration would move from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the Cultural Heritage Administration; and Police Day would transfer from the Ministry of Interior and Safety to the Korean National Police Agency. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy would also be added as a co-supervising agency for Nuclear Energy Safety and Promotion Day.

The ministry said the changes were intended to align the agencies that actually manage the relevant laws and events with those formally designated in the regulation, strengthening administrative accountability and improving the effectiveness of commemorative day operations.