Next holiday: Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), September 24 (Thu) — in 1 days. South Korea has 22 public holidays in 2026 and 24 public holidays in 2027, substitute days included, from the official KASI calendar. Banks and offices close on all of them; shops, restaurants and palaces mostly don’t — Seollal and Chuseok are the two to plan around.
Coming up
- September 24 (Thu) — Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
- September 25 (Fri) — Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
- September 26 (Sat) — Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
- October 3 (Sat) — National Foundation Day
- October 5 (Mon) — Substitute holiday (National Foundation Day)
- October 9 (Fri) — Hangul Day
2026 public holidays (22)
| Date | Day | Holiday | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thu | New Year’s Day 1월1일 | January 1 — the solar new year. Banks, government offices and post offices close; shops and restaurants mostly open. |
| February 16 | Mon | Seollal (Lunar New Year) 설날 | The lunar new year — the biggest family holiday with Chuseok. Three days off; many family-run restaurants and shops close on the day itself, and trains, buses and roads out of Seoul are packed the day before. |
| February 17 | Tue | Seollal (Lunar New Year) 설날 | Day 2 of 3 |
| February 18 | Wed | Seollal (Lunar New Year) 설날 | Day 3 of 3 |
| March 1 | Sun | Independence Movement Day 삼일절 | March 1 — commemorates the 1919 independence movement against Japanese rule. |
| March 2 | Mon | Substitute holiday (Independence Movement Day) 대체공휴일(삼일절) | A weekday off given because Independence Movement Day fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| May 1 | Fri | Labor Day 노동절 | May 1 — a public holiday; banks and many offices close. |
| May 5 | Tue | Children’s Day 어린이날 | May 5 — parks, zoos and amusement parks are at their busiest of the year. |
| May 24 | Sun | Buddha’s Birthday 부처님오신날 | Lunar April 8 — temples hold lantern festivals; Jogyesa and Bongeunsa in Seoul are decorated for weeks. |
| May 25 | Mon | Substitute holiday (Buddha’s Birthday) 대체공휴일(부처님오신날) | A weekday off given because Buddha’s Birthday fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| June 3 | Wed | Local Election Day 전국동시지방선거 | A one-off public holiday for nationwide local elections; offices close, most shops stay open. |
| June 6 | Sat | Memorial Day 현충일 | June 6 — honours those who died in military service; a siren sounds at 10 a.m. |
| July 17 | Fri | Constitution Day 제헌절 | July 17 — marks the 1948 constitution. |
| August 15 | Sat | Liberation Day 광복절 | August 15 — the end of Japanese rule in 1945. |
| August 17 | Mon | Substitute holiday (Liberation Day) 대체공휴일(광복절) | A weekday off given because Liberation Day fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| September 24 | Thu | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) 추석 | Lunar August 15 — the harvest festival. Three days off; like Seollal, expect closed family restaurants on the day and sold-out trains the day before. |
| September 25 | Fri | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) 추석 | Day 2 of 3 |
| September 26 | Sat | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) 추석 | Day 3 of 3 |
| October 3 | Sat | National Foundation Day 개천절 | October 3 — the mythical founding of Korea in 2333 BC. |
| October 5 | Mon | Substitute holiday (National Foundation Day) 대체공휴일(개천절) | A weekday off given because National Foundation Day fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| October 9 | Fri | Hangul Day 한글날 | October 9 — celebrates the Korean alphabet, promulgated in 1446. |
| December 25 | Fri | Christmas Day 기독탄신일 | December 25 — a public holiday; department stores and restaurants are open and busy. |
Long weekends in 2026
| Dates | Days off | Holidays inside |
|---|---|---|
| September 24 – September 27 (Thu–Sun) | 4 | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) |
| October 3 – October 5 (Sat–Mon) | 3 | National Foundation Day, Substitute holiday (National Foundation Day) |
| October 9 – October 11 (Fri–Sun) | 3 | Hangul Day |
| December 25 – December 27 (Fri–Sun) | 3 | Christmas Day |
2027 public holidays (24)
| Date | Day | Holiday | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Fri | New Year’s Day 1월1일 | January 1 — the solar new year. Banks, government offices and post offices close; shops and restaurants mostly open. |
| February 6 | Sat | Seollal (Lunar New Year) 설날 | The lunar new year — the biggest family holiday with Chuseok. Three days off; many family-run restaurants and shops close on the day itself, and trains, buses and roads out of Seoul are packed the day before. |
| February 7 | Sun | Seollal (Lunar New Year) 설날 | Day 2 of 3 |
| February 8 | Mon | Seollal (Lunar New Year) 설날 | Day 3 of 3 |
| February 9 | Tue | Substitute holiday (Seollal (Lunar New Year)) 대체공휴일(설날) | A weekday off given because Seollal (Lunar New Year) fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| March 1 | Mon | Independence Movement Day 삼일절 | March 1 — commemorates the 1919 independence movement against Japanese rule. |
| May 1 | Sat | Labor Day 노동절 | May 1 — a public holiday; banks and many offices close. |
| May 3 | Mon | Substitute holiday (Labor Day) 대체공휴일(노동절) | A weekday off given because Labor Day fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| May 5 | Wed | Children’s Day 어린이날 | May 5 — parks, zoos and amusement parks are at their busiest of the year. |
| May 13 | Thu | Buddha’s Birthday 부처님오신날 | Lunar April 8 — temples hold lantern festivals; Jogyesa and Bongeunsa in Seoul are decorated for weeks. |
| June 6 | Sun | Memorial Day 현충일 | June 6 — honours those who died in military service; a siren sounds at 10 a.m. |
| July 17 | Sat | Constitution Day 제헌절 | July 17 — marks the 1948 constitution. |
| July 19 | Mon | Substitute holiday (Constitution Day) 대체공휴일(제헌절) | A weekday off given because Constitution Day fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| August 15 | Sun | Liberation Day 광복절 | August 15 — the end of Japanese rule in 1945. |
| August 16 | Mon | Substitute holiday (Liberation Day) 대체공휴일(광복절) | A weekday off given because Liberation Day fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| September 14 | Tue | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) 추석 | Lunar August 15 — the harvest festival. Three days off; like Seollal, expect closed family restaurants on the day and sold-out trains the day before. |
| September 15 | Wed | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) 추석 | Day 2 of 3 |
| September 16 | Thu | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) 추석 | Day 3 of 3 |
| October 3 | Sun | National Foundation Day 개천절 | October 3 — the mythical founding of Korea in 2333 BC. |
| October 4 | Mon | Substitute holiday (National Foundation Day) 대체공휴일(개천절) | A weekday off given because National Foundation Day fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| October 9 | Sat | Hangul Day 한글날 | October 9 — celebrates the Korean alphabet, promulgated in 1446. |
| October 11 | Mon | Substitute holiday (Hangul Day) 대체공휴일(한글날) | A weekday off given because Hangul Day fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
| December 25 | Sat | Christmas Day 기독탄신일 | December 25 — a public holiday; department stores and restaurants are open and busy. |
| December 27 | Mon | Substitute holiday (Christmas Day) 대체공휴일(기독탄신일) | A weekday off given because Christmas Day fell on a weekend or overlapped another holiday. |
Long weekends in 2027
| Dates | Days off | Holidays inside |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 – January 3 (Fri–Sun) | 3 | New Year’s Day |
| February 6 – February 9 (Sat–Tue) | 4 | Seollal (Lunar New Year), Substitute holiday (Seollal (Lunar New Year)) |
| February 27 – March 1 (Sat–Mon) | 3 | Independence Movement Day |
| May 1 – May 3 (Sat–Mon) | 3 | Labor Day, Substitute holiday (Labor Day) |
| July 17 – July 19 (Sat–Mon) | 3 | Constitution Day, Substitute holiday (Constitution Day) |
| August 14 – August 16 (Sat–Mon) | 3 | Liberation Day, Substitute holiday (Liberation Day) |
| September 14 – September 16 (Tue–Thu) | 3 | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) |
| October 2 – October 4 (Sat–Mon) | 3 | National Foundation Day, Substitute holiday (National Foundation Day) |
| October 9 – October 11 (Sat–Mon) | 3 | Hangul Day, Substitute holiday (Hangul Day) |
| December 25 – December 27 (Sat–Mon) | 3 | Christmas Day, Substitute holiday (Christmas Day) |
What closes, what stays open
| Regular holidays | Seollal & Chuseok (3 days) | |
|---|---|---|
| Banks, government offices, post offices, immigration | Closed | Closed all three days |
| Department stores, malls, convenience stores | Open | Department stores close on the holiday itself; convenience stores open |
| Restaurants and cafés | Open (busier) | Chains open; many family-run places close 1–2 days |
| Palaces, museums, theme parks | Open (crowded) | Open, often free admission at palaces — check the venue |
| KTX, express buses, subway | Normal service | Run, but seats out of Seoul sell out weeks ahead |
| Hospitals and pharmacies | Emergency rooms only; some pharmacies | Emergency rooms only; duty pharmacies rotate |
The table is general guidance for a first-time visitor, not a list of specific venues — hours for any one place are on its own site.
Plan around it
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FAQ
How many public holidays does South Korea have?
22 in 2026 and 24 in 2027, counting substitute holidays (a weekday off when a holiday lands on a weekend). The two three-day holidays are Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok.
Are shops and restaurants open on Korean public holidays?
Mostly yes — department stores, convenience stores, chain restaurants and cafés trade on holidays, and Christmas and Children’s Day are busy shopping days. The exceptions are Seollal and Chuseok day itself, when many family-run restaurants and small shops close for a day or two. Banks, government offices, post offices and most clinics close on every public holiday.
Are palaces and museums open on holidays?
Seoul’s palaces and national museums generally stay open on public holidays and take their weekly closing day instead (check the palace’s own page — it varies). During Seollal and Chuseok the four palaces and Jongmyo have offered free admission in recent years; confirm on the palace site for the current year.
What is the next public holiday in Korea?
Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) on September 24 (Thu), in 1 days.
Should I avoid travelling during Seollal or Chuseok?
Book early rather than avoid. KTX and express-bus seats for the day before the holiday sell out weeks ahead and highways slow to a crawl, but inside Seoul the city is quieter than usual and palaces are free. Trains back to Seoul on the last day are the other crunch.
Where does this list come from?
The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) special-day service on data.go.kr — the same source government offices use. The page is rebuilt daily; substitute holidays announced later in the year appear automatically.
Source: Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute special-day information (data.go.kr) · page rebuilt 2026-09-23.