Korean Public Holidays 공휴일
All of them for this year and next, with the substitute days that trip people up, which ones make a long weekend, and what actually closes.
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|
Seollal and Chuseok are the two holidays that change your week. Trains sell out weeks ahead, the highways are a car park, and the small restaurant you love will be shut. Book early or stay put and enjoy a quiet, empty Seoul.
What closes, what does not
Government offices, immigration, banks, post offices and schools close on every public holiday. Hospitals keep emergency rooms open and many pharmacies open on rotation (look for 휴일지킴이약국). Shops, cafés, cinemas, convenience stores and palaces are open on ordinary holidays and usually busier than usual.
Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (harvest festival) are different. They are family holidays and for two or three days many small restaurants, markets and family businesses close. Large chains, department stores on some days, and tourist districts stay open. Public transport runs, but intercity trains and buses sell out well ahead.
Substitute holidays
When a holiday lands on a weekend, Korea usually gives you the next weekday off instead. This applies to Independence Movement Day, Children's Day, Buddha's Birthday, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, Hangul Day and Christmas, and to Seollal and Chuseok when one of their three days is a Sunday. New Year's Day and Memorial Day get no substitute; if they fall on a Saturday, that is that.
Questions people ask
Is Christmas a public holiday in Korea?
Yes, 25 December is a national holiday. Christmas Eve is a normal working day, and so is 26 December.
Do I get paid for public holidays?
If you are an employee at a company with five or more staff, public holidays are paid days off by law. Working on one means holiday pay at 150 percent or a day off in lieu. Working-holiday and part-time workers should check their contract.
Are election days holidays?
Yes. National election days are public holidays so people can vote. The 2026 local elections on 3 June are a holiday. There is no national election scheduled in 2027.
Where do these dates come from?
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety publishes the official list each year. Lunar holidays follow the Korean lunar calendar and we check them against the official announcement.
Last checked: September 2026. 2027 lunar dates are provisional until the official announcement (usually published in June the year before).