South Korea Public Holidays
South Korea observes a mix of public, national, and regional holidays throughout the year.
Overview
South Korea observes a mix of public, national, and regional holidays throughout the year.
Some holidays are observed nationwide, while others may apply only to specific regions or communities.
Explore the holiday calendar for South Korea by year below.
2026 holidays
A quick look at upcoming holidays in South Korea.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| Feb 16 | Monday | Lunar New Year |
| Feb 17 | Tuesday | Lunar New Year |
| Feb 18 | Wednesday | Lunar New Year |
| Mar 1 | Sunday | Independence Movement Day |
| May 5 | Tuesday | Children's Day |
| May 24 | Sunday | Buddha's Birthday |
| Jun 6 | Saturday | Memorial Day |
| Aug 15 | Saturday | Liberation Day |
| Sep 24 | Thursday | Chuseok |
| Sep 25 | Friday | Chuseok |
| Sep 26 | Saturday | Chuseok |
| Oct 3 | Saturday | National Foundation Day |
| Oct 9 | Friday | Hangul Day |
| Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day |
Holiday calendar by year
Years are listed in ascending order.
About public holidays in South Korea
HolidayCalendar lists public holidays for South Korea by calendar year. From this hub you can open a full year view with every dated entry, or jump to individual holiday pages for more context.
Public holidays are official days when many workplaces, schools, and government offices close or operate on a reduced schedule. For how we separate public holidays from awareness observances on this site, see public holidays and country calendars.
Our South Korea listing covers nationally observed public holidays in our dataset, including lunar-calendar festivals with multi-day entries. Open a year calendar for the full dated list.
Major public holidays in 2026
These are widely recognized anchor holidays in our 2026 South Korea calendar. Open each link for dates in other years and related calendar details.
Additional 2026 public holidays in our data include Buddha's Birthday, Hangul Day, and National Foundation Day, plus multi-day Lunar New Year and Chuseok periods. See the 2026 holiday table for exact dates.
- New Year's Day — 1 January 2026. Opens the calendar year and is often used for short breaks after the winter holiday period.
- Lunar New Year — 16 February 2026. The main Seollal public holiday in our 2026 calendar; additional dated entries extend the festival period.
- Independence Movement Day — 1 March 2026. Commemorates the 1919 independence movement and is a national public holiday.
- Children's Day — 5 May 2026. A family-focused public holiday in early May.
- Memorial Day — 6 June 2026. Honors those who died in military service.
- Liberation Day — 15 August 2026. Marks liberation from Japanese rule in 1945.
- Chuseok — 24 September 2026. The main autumn harvest festival public holiday in our 2026 calendar; additional dated entries extend the break.
- Christmas Day — 25 December 2026. Observed as a public holiday in our South Korea listing.
Planning around holidays
Use the year calendars on this hub when you schedule time off, travel, or staffing. Pick a year from the buttons above to see every dated public holiday.
- Winter and spring: Lunar new year spans multiple dated entries and shifts each year. Check your chosen year calendar for the full festival period.
- Late spring: Children's Day and Buddha's Birthday can fall close together in some years. Compare months on a year calendar before booking leave.
- Summer: Memorial Day and Liberation Day anchor early-summer commemorative periods and may affect domestic travel.
- Autumn and year-end: Chuseok is a multi-day festival with several dated entries in our data. Substitute or bridge days may apply; confirm the full period on the year view.
Plan Your Year Around KR Holidays
View South Korea holidays in calendar mode
Explore public holidays in a visual calendar layout and plan ahead more easily.