Korea Public Holidays 2026 and 2027: Dates and What Closes
Short answer: The big Korean holidays are Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok, which last three days each and move every year, and a weekend holiday often adds a substitute Monday. On public holidays, government offices and banks are closed, while many shops, restaurants and attractions follow their own rules. The one 2026 holiday still ahead of you (as of November 3, 2026) is Christmas Day on Friday, December 25. For 2027, the official calendar was announced on June 29, 2026, and it is listed below.
Two things changed recently. Labor Day (May 1) and Constitution Day (July 17) became public holidays in 2026, according to the Ministry of Personnel Management. Substitute holidays now apply to both, so a weekend date can add a Monday off.
2026 public holidays
This list follows VISITKOREA’s Public Holidays page (last updated March 27, 2026). The weekdays were added by checking the calendar, and the substitute dates are the “observed” dates VISITKOREA lists.
| Holiday | 2026 date | Weekday | Substitute day |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Jan 1 | Thursday | None |
| Seollal (Lunar New Year) | Feb 16-18 | Monday to Wednesday | Included in the three days |
| Independence Movement Day | Mar 1 | Sunday | Mar 2 (Monday) |
| Labor Day | May 1 | Friday | None |
| Children’s Day | May 5 | Tuesday | None |
| Buddha’s Birthday | May 24 | Sunday | May 25 (Monday) |
| Local Election Day | Jun 3 | Wednesday | None |
| Memorial Day | Jun 6 | Saturday | None |
| Constitution Day | Jul 17 | Friday | None |
| Liberation Day | Aug 15 | Saturday | Aug 17 (Monday) |
| Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) | Sep 24-26 | Thursday to Saturday | Included in the three days |
| National Foundation Day | Oct 3 | Saturday | Oct 5 (Monday) |
| Hangeul Day | Oct 9 | Friday | None |
| Christmas Day | Dec 25 | Friday | None |
The Korea AeroSpace Administration’s 2026 calendar notice (published June 30, 2025) puts Seollal itself on February 17 and Chuseok itself on September 25. Local Election Day is a one-off date tied to the June 2026 elections, so it will not repeat as a regular holiday.
2027 public holidays
South Korea’s space agency, the Korea AeroSpace Administration, announced the 2027 calendar on June 29, 2026, so 2027 dates are officially published. Its press release is in Korean, and the full date table is in an attached HWP file that This guide could not open. The table below therefore follows KASI’s 2027 calendar data, checked against the details readable in the press release: Seollal on February 7, Chuseok on September 15, the list of long weekends, and which holidays fall on Saturdays or Sundays. KASI itself labels that data a pre-announcement version, so confirm against the gazette notice before booking anything non-refundable.
| Holiday | 2027 date | Weekday | Substitute day |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Jan 1 | Friday | None |
| Seollal (Lunar New Year) | Feb 6-8 | Saturday to Monday | Feb 9 (Tuesday) |
| Independence Movement Day | Mar 1 | Monday | None |
| Labor Day | May 1 | Saturday | May 3 (Monday) |
| Children’s Day | May 5 | Wednesday | None |
| Buddha’s Birthday | May 13 | Thursday | None |
| Memorial Day | Jun 6 | Sunday | None listed |
| Constitution Day | Jul 17 | Saturday | Jul 19 (Monday) |
| Liberation Day | Aug 15 | Sunday | Aug 16 (Monday) |
| Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) | Sep 14-16 | Tuesday to Thursday | Included in the three days |
| National Foundation Day | Oct 3 | Sunday | Oct 4 (Monday) |
| Hangeul Day | Oct 9 | Saturday | Oct 11 (Monday) |
| Christmas Day | Dec 25 | Saturday | Dec 27 (Monday) |
The Buddha’s Birthday date (May 13) comes from KASI’s table only, because the readable press release text does not mention it.
The press release says 2027 has 72 effective public holidays, because four of the 76 red-letter days land on Sundays (Seollal, Memorial Day, Liberation Day and National Foundation Day) and add no extra day off. For people on a five-day week, it counts 119 days off in total. It lists ten breaks of three days or more, including a four-day Seollal break from February 6 to 9 and a three-day Chuseok break from September 14 to 16.
What substitute holidays mean
When certain holidays fall on a weekend or overlap another holiday, the government gives the next weekday off. In the data above, substitutes appear for Seollal, Buddha’s Birthday, Labor Day, Constitution Day and national days such as Independence Movement Day and Liberation Day. Memorial Day has none in either year, even though it falls on a weekend both times. The Ministry of Personnel Management states that substitutes apply to Labor Day and Constitution Day. Rules for what gets a substitute are set by law and have changed over time, so do not assume the same rule applies to every holiday.
What usually closes and what stays open
VISITKOREA’s holiday page says government offices and banks are closed on official holidays, while palaces, museums, department stores and amusement facilities generally stay open. Its Seollal and Chuseok travel guides add important exceptions for the long breaks:
| Place | What the official tourism pages say |
|---|---|
| Government offices and banks | Closed on official holidays |
| Department stores, malls, restaurants | Many close on Seollal or Chuseok Day or for part of the break; convenience stores and shops near tourist areas often stay open |
| Subways and city buses | Run as usual during Chuseok; some services may run later than usual on Chuseok Day and the day after |
| Intercity trains and express buses | Tickets sell out quickly; book early and have a backup plan |
| National museums and galleries | Generally closed on Seollal or Chuseok Day, open for the rest of the break; regional museums vary |
| Seoul’s royal palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, royal tombs | Free admission during the breaks; in 2026 they were closed on February 19, the day after Seollal |
The pages do not give hours for every venue, so check a venue’s own website or map listing for the day you plan to go.
One practical example from a Seoul guidebook: the Home Appliances Disposal Center, which collects large appliances for free, lists Lunar New Year, Chuseok, Labor Day, New Year’s Day and public holidays as closed days. Many services work this way, so a public holiday can delay anything that needs a staff member.
Quick checklist
- Check whether your travel dates touch Seollal or Chuseok, and book transport and hotels early.
- Do banking, visa, ID-card and other office errands before a long break, not during it.
- Look up substitute days, because a weekend holiday often adds a Monday off.
- Confirm opening hours for museums, restaurants and attractions on the exact day.
- Check the official calendar again before booking anything non-refundable for 2027.
Common mistakes
- Assuming Seollal and Chuseok fall on the same dates each year. They follow the lunar calendar and move.
- Forgetting the substitute holiday, or assuming every holiday has one.
- Expecting shops and restaurants to be open on Seollal or Chuseok Day just because they are normally open on public holidays.
- Using a pre-2026 holiday list that still treats Labor Day and Constitution Day as ordinary working days for government offices.
This guide is general information, not personal advice. Holiday dates and business hours can change, so confirm with the official sources linked below and with the venue or office before you plan.
Sources
- VISITKOREA: Public Holidays (2026 list, last updated March 27, 2026)
- Korea AeroSpace Administration: Announcement of the 2027 Calendar Essentials (press release, June 29, 2026)
- Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI): Calendar data for 2027 (Korean)
- Ministry of Personnel Management: Labor Day and Constitution Day become public holidays (press release, April 2026, Korean)
- VISITKOREA: 2026 Chuseok Holiday Travel Guide
- VISITKOREA: 2026 Seollal Holiday Travel Guide
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