27th
Overview
The 27th is a date notation referring to the 27th day of each month in the calendar, and in Korean it is used in two senses: 'the day corresponding to the 27th' and 'a period of 27 days.' It is a date that exists in every Gregorian month (28–31 days), and in most months it falls immediately before the end of the month. In modern Korean history, it is a date of great historical symbolism, appearing repeatedly as the date of symbolic events such as the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, and the Panmunjom Declaration on April 27, 2018.
Key details
Position in the calendar structure
Under the Gregorian calendar, the 27th exists in every month, including February. In months with 31 days it is four days before the end of the month, in months with 30 days it is three days before the end, and in February with 28 days (a common year) it is the day before the last day. In other words, because of its position 'immediately before the end of the month,' the 27th is often chosen as a reference date for deadlines, closing, and settlement. Mathematically, 27 is the cube of 3 (3³), and the 27th prime is 103. Because of these properties, 27 is often cited as one of the cube numbers.
Historical events
- July 27, 1953: Representatives of the United Nations Command and the Korean People's Army and the Chinese People's Volunteers signed the Korean War Armistice Agreement (armistice agreement) at Panmunjom. This date is evaluated as the turning point that left the Korean War in an armistice state rather than a peace settlement.
- June 27, 1950: The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 83, condemning North Korea's armed attack and recommending military support to member states.
- January 27, 1945: The Auschwitz-Birkenau camp was liberated. In 2005, the UN General Assembly designated this day as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
- April 27, 2018: President Moon Jae-in and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un held an inter-Korean summit at the Peace House in Panmunjom and announced the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula.
- February 27–28, 2019: The second North Korea–United States summit was held in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Administrative and legal significance
In the calculation of periods under civil law, the principle that the first day is not counted (초일 불산입) applies, so the expression 'from the 27th' may create a one-day difference from the actual time when rights and obligations arise; caution is needed when drafting contracts. In practice, there are many cases in which the 27th is designated as the date for wage payment, credit card billing, payment of various utility charges, and contest or bid deadlines. To avoid congestion of month-end work, it is common to spread settlement dates across the 25th–27th range.
Cultural and social symbolism
The 27th is perceived as 'the last breathing room before the end of the month,' and among finance and accounting practitioners it is understood as a signal to prepare for closing. In addition, in various online communities, a self-management routine of checking spending by treating the 27th of each month as a 'settlement day' has spread.
Recent trends
In 2024–2025, academic events and civic group discussions commemorating the Panmunjom Declaration (April 27) and the Armistice Agreement (July 27) have continued to become regular annual events. In particular, discourse seeking to reinterpret the Armistice Agreement anniversary as a 'starting point for peace treaty discussions' has spread, and in 2025 digital releases of related archival materials increased. In practical areas, as the financial sector practice of designating payroll transfer dates and card billing dates on the 25th, 27th, and other dates has taken hold, the practical meaning of the 27th as a 'settlement day' is being highlighted further. Meanwhile, there are cases such as February 27 in which the interval to the preceding and following dates differs depending on whether it is a leap year, so it is often used as a verification case for date-calculation automation tools.
Related topics
- [[한국전쟁]]
- [[정전협정]]
- [[판문점 선언]]
- [[그레고리력]]
- [[기간 계산]]