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.
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South Korea public holidays at a glance
South Korea has 18 public holiday dates in 2026 plus 4 substitute days off: the first is New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January and the last is Christmas Day on Friday 25 December. The same data for 2020–2030 is available as JSON from /api/holidays?country=KR&year=2026.
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.
Sources
- Korea Law Information Center — Regulations on Holidays of Government Offices — official list to confirm dates (checked 2026-10-10)
- vacanza/holidays (open-source holiday rules, MIT licence) — holiday rules used to build the lists (checked 2026-10-10)
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.
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