📅 South Korea Public Holidays 2026 & 2027
Public Holidays 2026
| Date | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2026 · Thu | New Year's Day (새해) | Public |
| 16 Feb 2026 · Mon | Lunar New Year (설날) | Public |
| 17 Feb 2026 · Tue | Lunar New Year (설날) | Public |
| 18 Feb 2026 · Wed | Lunar New Year (설날) | Public |
| 2 Mar 2026 · Mon | Independence Movement Day (3·1절) | Public |
| 1 May 2026 · Fri | Labour Day (노동절) | Public |
| 5 May 2026 · Tue | Children's Day (어린이날) | Public |
| 25 May 2026 · Mon | Buddha's Birthday (부처님 오신 날) | Public |
| 3 Jun 2026 · Wed | Local Election Day (지방 선거일) | Public |
| 6 Jun 2026 · Sat | Memorial Day (현충일) | Public |
| 17 Jul 2026 · Fri | Constitution Day (제헌절) | Public |
| 17 Aug 2026 · Mon | Liberation Day (광복절) | Public |
| 24 Sep 2026 · Thu | Chuseok (추석) | Public |
| 25 Sep 2026 · Fri | Chuseok (추석) | Public |
| 26 Sep 2026 · Sat | Chuseok (추석) | Public |
| 5 Oct 2026 · Mon | National Foundation Day (개천절) | Public |
| 9 Oct 2026 · Fri | Hangul Day (한글날) | Public |
| 25 Dec 2026 · Fri | Christmas Day (크리스마스) | Public |
Public Holidays 2027
Provisional — most countries publish the official calendar late in the year.
| Date | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2027 · Fri | New Year's Day (새해) | Public |
| 6 Feb 2027 · Sat | Lunar New Year (설날) | Public |
| 8 Feb 2027 · Mon | Lunar New Year (설날) | Public |
| 9 Feb 2027 · Tue | Lunar New Year (설날) | Public |
| 1 Mar 2027 · Mon | Independence Movement Day (3·1절) | Public |
| 3 May 2027 · Mon | Labour Day (노동절) | Public |
| 5 May 2027 · Wed | Children's Day (어린이날) | Public |
| 13 May 2027 · Thu | Buddha's Birthday (부처님 오신 날) | Public |
| 6 Jun 2027 · Sun | Memorial Day (현충일) | Public |
| 19 Jul 2027 · Mon | Constitution Day (제헌절) | Public |
| 16 Aug 2027 · Mon | Liberation Day (광복절) | Public |
| 14 Sep 2027 · Tue | Chuseok (추석) | Public |
| 15 Sep 2027 · Wed | Chuseok (추석) | Public |
| 16 Sep 2027 · Thu | Chuseok (추석) | Public |
| 4 Oct 2027 · Mon | National Foundation Day (개천절) | Public |
| 11 Oct 2027 · Mon | Hangul Day (한글날) | Public |
| 25 Dec 2027 · Sat | Christmas Day (크리스마스) | Public |
ℹ️ Why these dates matter
Korea stretches its two biggest celebrations across three days: Seollal at Lunar New Year and Chuseok in autumn both swallow the days around them and send the country home to family. Both follow the lunar calendar, so they land differently every year — Seollal is Monday to Wednesday in February 2026 but straddles a weekend in 2027. Add the spring cherry blossom weeks that are not a holiday at all, and you get four moments that shape a trip far more than any single date. Banks and public offices close on holidays while palaces, museums and shopping districts generally stay open, and the big royal palaces usually waive admission on the holiday itself.
Festivals Worth Planning a Trip Around
Beyond the stat holidays — the events that define the travel year.
Lunar New Year — Mon 16 – Wed 18 February 2026
Seollal is Korea’s biggest family holiday, and for three days the country heads home. KTX trains and express buses fill as soon as booking opens, usually about a month ahead, and the big Seoul palaces tend to drop their admission fee over the holiday. Many small neighbourhood restaurants close on the day itself, so ask your accommodation what is still cooking.
Chuseok — Thu 24 – Sat 26 September 2026
Chuseok is the harvest festival and the worst travel crunch of the Korean year: three official days, but most people take longer, and the roads south crawl. Folk villages and Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul usually run archery, tug-of-war and folk games. Buy your KTX ticket the minute it opens and shop for food the day before, because supermarkets commonly shut on the day itself.
Buddha's Birthday — Mon 25 May 2026 (Lotus Lantern Festival the weekend before)
Buddha’s Birthday turns Seoul into a river of paper lanterns, with Jogyesa temple and the streets around it strung with colour for a week. The Lotus Lantern Festival parade runs through the centre after dark and draws very large crowds. Come on a weekday evening for the lanterns without the crush, or find a spot along the parade route well before it starts.
Children's Day — Tue 5 May 2026
Children’s Day empties the neighbourhoods into the parks: every zoo, amusement park and playground in the country runs at full tilt, and Everland and Lotte World hit capacity. It sits in a crowded few days of spring alongside Buddha’s Birthday and the good weather. Buy attraction tickets online in advance and expect packed subway trains in the evening.
Cherry Blossom Season — late March – early April 2026 (Jeju first, Seoul usually early April)
Cherry blossom is not a public holiday, but it fills Korea the way nothing else does: Jeju and the south coast bloom first, followed by Seoul usually in the first week of April. Yeouido Park and the paths along the Han River are the classic spots, and the blossom forecasts are published each spring and shift every year. Two weeks either side of the peak is a perfectly good time to come.
💡 Quick Tips
- Banks, post offices and government offices close on public holidays; department stores, malls and most tourist sites stay open.
- Seollal and Chuseok are the two weeks to avoid driving — expect very long queues on the main expressways.
- KTX tickets usually go on sale about a month before departure, and the allocations for Seollal and Chuseok disappear within minutes.
- Expect many small neighbourhood restaurants to shut on the big holidays themselves; ask your hotel or host what is still serving.
⚡ Pro Tips
- Go to a palace on Chuseok or Seollal: the big royal palaces usually waive admission and you get crowds in hanbok without any queue for tickets.
- Reverse the flow during Chuseok — head to Jeju or Busan while everyone else rushes to the provinces and you will find the roads and hotels calmer.
- Book a temple stay months ahead for Buddha’s Birthday week; it is the one accommodation type that tends to stay reasonably priced during festival season.
📋 Summary
Every South Korean public holiday for 2026 and 2027, plus the travel moments that matter most: Seollal and Chuseok, the two three-day family holidays that empty Seoul, Buddha’s Birthday under the lanterns, Children’s Day, and the spring cherry blossom weeks that pack the parks without being a holiday at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What closes during Seollal and Chuseok in South Korea?
Banks, post offices and public offices close, and many small family restaurants and traditional markets shut for the day itself. Shopping malls, convenience stores, theme parks and most attractions carry on, and the big royal palaces usually drop their admission fee. Trains and buses run, but they are packed and should be booked well ahead.
How far ahead should I book KTX tickets for Korean holidays?
Seollal and Chuseok seats usually go on sale about a month before departure and the good departures go within minutes. Set an alarm for the opening minute and have a backup route in mind. For ordinary weekends and smaller holidays, a week or two is usually plenty.
When do cherry blossoms bloom in Korea and is it a public holiday?
Blossom runs from late March, starting on Jeju and the south coast and reaching Seoul usually in the first week of April. It is not a public holiday, although the crowds around Yeouido and the Han River can feel like one. Forecasts are published every spring and shift from year to year, so plan a window rather than a single day.
