Public Holidays in South Korea 2026
21 listed public holiday dates in 2026
South Korea's public-holiday calendar includes lunar New Year and Chuseok breaks alongside civic, Buddhist and Christian holidays. From 2026, Labour Day and Constitution Day are included in the national public-holiday framework under amended holiday law.
South Korea Public Holidays 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| Feb 16 | Monday | Seollal Holiday |
| Feb 17 | Tuesday | Seollal |
| Feb 18 | Wednesday | Seollal Holiday |
| Mar 1 | Sunday | Independence Movement Day |
| Mar 2 | Monday | Independence Movement Day Observed |
| May 1 | Friday | Labour Day |
| May 5 | Tuesday | Children's Day |
| May 24 | Sunday | Buddha's Birthday |
| May 25 | Monday | Buddha's Birthday Observed |
| Jun 3 | Wednesday | Local Election Day One-off |
| Jun 6 | Saturday | Memorial Day |
| Jul 17 | Friday | Constitution Day |
| Aug 15 | Saturday | Liberation Day |
| Aug 17 | Monday | Liberation Day Observed |
| Sep 24 | Thursday | Chuseok Holiday |
| Sep 25 | Friday | Chuseok |
| Sep 26 | Saturday | Chuseok Holiday |
| Oct 3 | Saturday | National Foundation Day |
| Oct 5 | Monday | National Foundation Day Observed |
| Oct 9 | Friday | Hangeul Day |
| Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day |
* 2027 Buddha's Birthday should be checked against the final official lunar calendar.
Seollal, Chuseok and Substitute Holidays 2026
Seollal and Chuseok each create multi-day breaks. Substitute holidays extend several fixed holidays when they fall on weekends.
Holiday Rules in South Korea
South Korea uses substitute holidays for specified holidays that overlap weekends or other public holidays. The 2026 legal amendments also added Labour Day and restored Constitution Day as public holidays, with substitute-day treatment under the implementing rules.
South Korea Holiday Calendar: What to Know
- Seollal and Chuseok are multi-day holidays.
- Liberation Day is 15 August.
- Hangeul Day is 9 October.
- Weekend overlap can generate substitute holidays.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Chuseok in 2027?
15 September, with holidays around it.
Why is Christmas observed on 27 December 2027?
Christmas falls on Saturday and is covered by substitute-holiday rules.
When is Liberation Day?
15 August.
Why is Buddha's Birthday 2027 marked provisional?
It follows the lunar calendar and should be verified against the official calendar.
Sources & methodology
View sources used for this page
Official public-sector tourism portal listing Korea public holidays for 2026, including the 2026 legal changes.
Independent calendar cross-check used for date, weekday and observed-day review. Government notices and statutory rules take precedence where they differ.
Source hierarchy: official government, statutory, gazette or institutional material is used first. Timeanddate is retained only as an independent calendar cross-check where present. Later official declarations take precedence.