Jae-hyun wasn't the only one having a miserable holiday.
The entirety of Koryon was seething.
Because on December 4th, 2024, Zhinora had successfully secured the official cultural heritage status for the traditional New Year, definitively ending the bitter "Holiday Ownership War" between Zhinora and Koryon.
The New Year officially belonged exclusively to the Zhinorians!
This holiday season marked the first one since Zhinora's triumphant heritage claim.
The Zhinorians were overjoyed, while Koryon was absolutely furious. The sourness radiating from their country was more potent than their fermented cabbage!
From the moment Zhinora won the claim all the way through the end of the holiday festivities, Koryon hadn't stopped complaining.
They flooded the internet daily, shouting that the New Year was historically theirs, accusing Zhinora of stealing their cultural heritage, and branding Zhinorians as thieves.
During the actual holidays, everyone in Zhinora was too busy celebrating to care.
In the days leading up, people had packed the malls, hit the markets, and stocked up on festive goods.
On New Year's Eve, families gathered for grand feasts, watched the fireworks show, tuned in to the national broadcast, and stayed up to welcome the new year.
On the first day of the year, people visited the cemetery to pay respects to their ancestors before hitting the local fairs during the day and catching a movie at night.
Over the next few days, it was a blur of visiting relatives and friends.
People were exhausted but ecstatic, happily reveling in the vibrant atmosphere of the holidays.
On the eighth day, normal work schedules resumed.
But on that first day back, everyone's minds were still on vacation mode. No one wanted to focus on their jobs.
So, they all went surfing the web.
Going back to work was already depressing enough, but logging online to see Koryon calling them thieves? The Zhinorians weren't having it.

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