Labor Day Observances and Protests Mark September 1, 2025

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2025 (AP) - U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Monday marked Labor Day with a sweeping proclamation and a major economic announcement, while public‐sector unions in South Korea pressed for expanded holiday rights and diplomatic missions abroad observed the holiday with closures.

In a televised address from the White House lawn, President Trump celebrated what his administration calls the “Golden Age of Prosperity,” highlighting approximately $10 trillion in new corporate investments secured over the past year. He touted commitments from major technology and infrastructure companies-among them Nvidia’s $5 trillion pledge for domestic semiconductor production and Apple’s $5 trillion factory expansion-as proof of his “worker‐first” economic agenda. “Our highest priority will always be the American worker, who is the heartbeat of our economy,” Trump said, urging Congress to uphold tariff policies under judicial review that he expects will further spur U.S. manufacturing.

Meanwhile, in Seoul, the Korea Public Service Union staged a press conference at the National Assembly to demand that public‐sector employees receive the same Labor Day rest rights as their private‐sector counterparts. Union leaders argued that inserting just three words-“Labor Day”-into existing civil‐service regulations would guarantee holiday leave for government workers. “Labor Day is meant to restore workers’ dignity and well‐being,” said the union’s spokesperson, “yet public servants remain excluded, denying them recognition as workers”.

On the diplomatic front, South Korean missions in North America observed Labor Day closures. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Ottawa and its Vancouver consulate were closed for Labor Day, advising visitors to plan accordingly. Likewise, the Korean Consulate General in Seattle announced it would not process any consular services on Monday, directing urgent cases to emergency contact numbers.

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