South Korea National Holidays 2026
Complete list of South Korea's national public holidays in 2026. Includes all 11 Korean official holidays with dates, holiday names in Korean and English, and ICS download.
South Korea Public Holidays 2026 (공휴일)
| Date | Day | Korean Name | English Name | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Thu | 신정 | New Year's Day | National |
| Feb 16–18 | Mon–Wed | 설날 연휴 | Seollal (Lunar New Year) Holiday | National |
| Mar 1 | Sun | 삼일절 | Independence Movement Day | National |
| Mar 2 | Mon | 대체공휴일 (삼일절) | Substitute Holiday (Mar 1) | Substitute |
| May 5 | Tue | 어린이날 | Children's Day | National |
| May 22 | Fri | 부처님 오신날 | Buddha's Birthday | National |
| Jun 6 | Sat | 현충일 | Memorial Day | National |
| Aug 15 | Sat | 광복절 | Liberation Day | National |
| Aug 17 | Mon | 대체공휴일 (광복절) | Substitute Holiday (Aug 15) | Substitute |
| Oct 1–3 | Thu–Sat | 추석 연휴 | Chuseok Holiday | National |
| Oct 5 | Mon | 대체공휴일 (추석) | Substitute Holiday (Chuseok) | Substitute |
| Oct 3 | Sat | 개천절 | National Foundation Day | National |
| Oct 9 | Fri | 한글날 | Hangeul Day | National |
| Dec 25 | Fri | 성탄절 | Christmas Day | National |
Source: Ministry of the Interior and Safety (행정안전부). Substitute holiday dates are tentative and subject to official government confirmation.
About South Korean Public Holidays
South Korea (대한민국) officially recognizes 11 national public holidays (공휴일), governed by the Act on Public Holidays of Government Offices (관공서의 공휴일에 관한 규정). These holidays span cultural, historical, and religious traditions — from the Lunar New Year celebration of Seollal to the solemn remembrance of Independence Movement Day. Understanding the Korean holiday calendar is essential for anyone doing business with, traveling to, or studying South Korea.
The Substitute Holiday Rule (대체공휴일)
Korea's substitute holiday system ensures that workers never lose a public holiday to a weekend. If any national holiday falls on a Sunday, or if two holidays overlap, the next available working Monday becomes a paid substitute holiday. Since 2023, this rule applies to all 11 national holidays — an expansion from the earlier system, which covered only select holidays such as Seollal, Chuseok, and Children's Day. In 2026, this rule adds three extra days off: March 2 (for Independence Movement Day on Sunday March 1), August 17 (for Liberation Day on Saturday August 15), and October 5 (for the Chuseok–National Foundation Day overlap on October 3).
Seollal and Chuseok — Korea's Biggest Holidays
Seollal (설날), the Korean Lunar New Year, is a three-day holiday: the day before the lunar first day (섣달 그믐), the actual New Year's Day, and the day after. In 2026, this falls on February 16–18. Families gather for ancestral rites (차례), eat traditional foods like tteokguk (rice cake soup), and exchange New Year's bows. Seollal is widely considered the most important family holiday in Korea.
Chuseok (추석), Korea's harvest festival and the equivalent of Thanksgiving, is equally significant. It is also a three-day holiday spanning the 14th, 15th, and 16th days of the 8th lunar month. In 2026, Chuseok falls on October 1–3. Notably, October 3 is also National Foundation Day (개천절), meaning the two holidays coincide — triggering a substitute holiday on Monday, October 5. This creates a rare five-day long weekend from October 1 to October 5.
Unique Korean Holidays
Several Korean public holidays are unique in the world. Hangeul Day (한글날, October 9) commemorates the proclamation of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong in 1446 — one of the few national holidays anywhere dedicated to a writing system. Liberation Day (광복절, August 15) marks Korea's independence from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, and is observed simultaneously as a public holiday in both South and North Korea. Independence Movement Day (삼일절, March 1) honors the nationwide nonviolent uprising of 1919 against Japanese occupation.
How to Use This Holiday Tool
- Check today's status: The status widget at the top of this page automatically detects the current date in Seoul time (KST, UTC+9) and tells you immediately whether today is a public holiday or a regular working day.
- Browse the full holiday table: Scroll to the holiday table for a complete list of all 2026 Korean public holidays, including substitute days, with dates, days of the week, and Korean names.
- Download the ICS calendar file: Click the "Download ICS Calendar" button to save all holidays as a calendar file compatible with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, and most other calendar apps. All holiday names appear in both English and Korean.
- Copy dates as text: Click "Copy Dates" to copy the full holiday list as plain text (one line per holiday: date|name) — easy to paste into a spreadsheet, note app, or chat.
Frequently Asked Questions
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South Korea has 11 statutory national public holidays (공휴일) in 2026, plus 3 substitute holidays (대체공휴일) — on March 2 (for Independence Movement Day on Sunday March 1), August 17 (for Liberation Day on Saturday August 15), and October 5 (for the Chuseok/National Foundation Day overlap on October 3). This gives a total of 14 days off in 2026.
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Seollal 2026 (설날, Korean Lunar New Year) falls on February 17, 2026. The official holiday period is February 16–18 — the day before (설날 전날), the day of, and the day after. Combined with the surrounding weekend, this creates a 5-day break.
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The Seollal holiday is officially 3 days: the day before the lunar New Year's Day (음력 12월 그믐), New Year's Day itself (음력 1월 1일), and the day after (음력 1월 2일). In 2026, these fall on February 16, 17, and 18. If the surrounding days are weekdays, the total break is 3 days; if they connect to a weekend, up to 5 days.
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Chuseok (추석) 2026 falls on October 1–3 (the main day is October 1, which is the 15th day of the 8th lunar month). The October 3 National Foundation Day (개천절) coincides with the Chuseok period, and a substitute holiday is added on Monday October 5. This creates a rare 6-day holiday from September 30 to October 5.
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Korea's substitute holiday system (대체공휴일) ensures no public holiday is lost to a weekend. If any of the 11 national holidays falls on a Sunday, or if two holidays overlap, the next available weekday Monday becomes a substitute holiday. Since 2023, this rule covers all 11 national holidays. In 2026, three substitute days are added: March 2, August 17, and October 5.
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Hangeul Day (한글날, October 9) celebrates the promulgation of the Korean alphabet (Hangeul) by King Sejong the Great in 1446. It is one of the few national holidays in the world dedicated to a writing system. The holiday was removed from the official calendar in 1990 but restored as a public holiday in 2013 after public advocacy.
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No — the premium for working on a public holiday in Korea is 200% (double pay), not 150%. Under the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 §56), employees who work on a public holiday at companies with 5 or more employees must receive 200% of their regular daily rate. Companies with fewer than 5 employees are exempt from this specific rule.
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Yes. National public holidays are designated paid rest days under Korean law. Employers may require holiday work only with the written consent of the majority of employees or through collective bargaining. If holiday work is required, the 200% premium pay rate must be paid. Employees cannot be penalized for refusing to work on a public holiday without proper agreement.
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Liberation Day (광복절, August 15) commemorates Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. The name 광복 (Gwangbok) means 'restoration of light.' Notably, the same date — August 15, 1948 — is when the Republic of Korea (South Korea) was formally established. North Korea also celebrates August 15 as Liberation Day, making it one of the very few dates observed on both sides of the Korean peninsula.
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Several Korean public holidays are distinctive: Hangeul Day (October 9) — the only national holiday in the world celebrating a writing system. Independence Movement Day (삼일절, March 1) — commemorating the 1919 nonviolent uprising against Japanese colonial rule. National Foundation Day (개천절, October 3) — honoring the mythological founding of the first Korean kingdom by Dangun in 2333 BCE, one of the world's oldest founding anniversary observances.