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Children's Day in Republic of Korea

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-05-25 10:26

Children's Day falls on May 5 in Republic of Korea and is viewed by Korean children in the same way Christmas is viewed in the West -- as a time for gifts and fun.

Child monks celebrate Children's Day, which falls on May 5 in Republic of Korea, in the Jogyesa temple in this photo taken on May 5, 2010. [File photo/chinanews.com]

Because it is a national holiday, parents are free to indulge the whims and wants of their offspring by taking them to amusement parks, movies, zoos, and other places that draw the excited laughter of youth.

Children's Day in Republic of Korea traces its origins to Bang Jeong-hwan, a children's story book writer, who, on May 1, 1923, wrote "An Open Letter to Adults." This letter called upon adults to, among other things, "speak to children with respect, and speak softly."