Public holidays in South Korea
Public holidays under the Regulations on Holidays of Government Offices. Is today a holiday, what is on this week, and when is the next day off — worked out for Asia/Seoul time.
Today in South Korea
This week
Coming up
- Thursday 1 January — New Year's Day
- Monday 16 February — The day preceding Korean New Year
- Tuesday 17 February — Korean New Year
- Wednesday 18 February — The second day of Korean New Year
- Sunday 1 March — Independence Movement Day
- Monday 2 March — Alternative holiday for Independence Movement Day day off in lieu
About holidays in South Korea
Seollal and Chuseok follow the lunar calendar and each give three days off. Substitute holidays apply when some holidays overlap a weekend or another holiday, and national election days are public holidays too, so the government can add days during the year.
All South Korea public holidays in 2026
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January | New Year's Day |
| Monday 16 February | The day preceding Korean New Year |
| Tuesday 17 February | Korean New Year |
| Wednesday 18 February | The second day of Korean New Year |
| Sunday 1 March | Independence Movement Day |
| Monday 2 March | Alternative holiday for Independence Movement Day day off in lieu |
| Friday 1 May | Labor Day |
| Tuesday 5 May | Children's Day |
| Sunday 24 May | Buddha's Birthday |
| Monday 25 May | Alternative holiday for Buddha's Birthday day off in lieu |
| Wednesday 3 June | Local Election Day |
| Saturday 6 June | Memorial Day |
| Friday 17 July | Constitution Day |
| Saturday 15 August | Liberation Day |
| Monday 17 August | Alternative holiday for Liberation Day day off in lieu |
| Thursday 24 September | The day preceding Chuseok |
| Friday 25 September | Chuseok |
| Saturday 26 September | The second day of Chuseok |
| Saturday 3 October | National Foundation Day |
| Monday 5 October | Alternative holiday for National Foundation Day day off in lieu |
| Friday 9 October | Hangul Day |
| Friday 25 December | Christmas Day |
Full month-by-month calendars: 2026 calendar · 2027 calendar.
Questions and answers
How many public holidays does South Korea have in 2026?
This list has 18 holiday dates in 2026, plus 4 substitute days off. It covers public holidays under the Regulations on Holidays of Government Offices.
Which South Korea holidays fall on a weekend in 2026?
Independence Movement Day (Sunday 1 March); Buddha's Birthday (Sunday 24 May); Memorial Day (Saturday 6 June); Liberation Day (Saturday 15 August); The second day of Chuseok (Saturday 26 September); National Foundation Day (Saturday 3 October). Where the rules give a substitute day off, it is listed separately.
Which dates could still change?
None of the 2026 dates depend on a moon sighting, but governments can still add one-off holidays during the year.
Which time zone does “today” use on this page?
Asia/Seoul, the country's time zone. The status box at the top is worked out in your browser from your device clock.
Where are the official dates published?
Korea Law Information Center — Regulations on Holidays of Government Offices. When this page and the official source disagree, the official source is right.
For reference only — governments can add, move or cancel holidays at short notice. Confirm with the official source: Korea Law Information Center — Regulations on Holidays of Government Offices. Data: the open-source holidays library (MIT), spot-checked against official 2026 calendars.