South Korea Public Holidays 2026
South Korea has 21 public holiday dates in 2026. Government offices, banks, and most businesses close on these days — but many restaurants and shops in tourist areas stay open. Company holiday policies vary, so this is the official government calendar, not a guarantee that every business follows it.
When to avoid: the longest holiday weekends
During Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok especially, most of the country travels to see family — trains and highways get heavily booked days in advance, and many small businesses close for the whole stretch, not just the calendar dates below.
- Seollal (Lunar New Year) — Feb 14 (Sat) to Feb 18 (Wed) (5 days)
- Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) — Sep 24 (Thu) to Sep 27 (Sun) (4 days)
Full holiday calendar
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Jan 1 (Thu) | New Year's Day |
| Feb 16 (Mon) | Seollal (Lunar New Year) (Holiday) |
| Feb 17 (Tue) | Seollal (Lunar New Year) |
| Feb 18 (Wed) | Seollal (Lunar New Year) (Holiday) |
| Mar 1 (Sun) | Independence Movement Day |
| Mar 2 (Mon) | Independence Movement Day (Substitute Holiday) |
| May 1 (Fri) | Labor Day |
| May 5 (Tue) | Children's Day |
| May 24 (Sun) | Buddha's Birthday |
| May 25 (Mon) | Buddha's Birthday (Substitute Holiday) |
| Jun 6 (Sat) | Memorial Day |
| Jul 17 (Fri) | Constitution Day |
| Aug 15 (Sat) | Liberation Day |
| Aug 17 (Mon) | Liberation Day (Substitute Holiday) |
| Sep 24 (Thu) | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) (Holiday) |
| Sep 25 (Fri) | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) |
| Sep 26 (Sat) | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) (Holiday) |
| Oct 3 (Sat) | National Foundation Day |
| Oct 5 (Mon) | National Foundation Day (Substitute Holiday) |
| Oct 9 (Fri) | Hangeul Day |
| Dec 25 (Fri) | Christmas Day |
Source: South Korea's official public holiday regulation (관공서의 공휴일에 관한 규정), cross-checked against government announcements. Lunar-calendar holidays (Seollal, Chuseok, Buddha's Birthday) and any newly announced temporary holidays are subject to change.