Public Holidays in South Korea — 2026
South Korea is holiday-rich in 2026, with 18 public holidays spread across the year.
2 of them land on the Saturday + Sunday weekend, which leaves 16 genuine days off work.
The dates are spread fairly evenly — 10 before July and 8 after it — with February the busiest month.
The longest dry spell runs 77 days, from Friday, October 9, 2026 to Friday, December 25, 2026; that is the stretch worth spending annual leave on.
10 holiday(s) sit next to the weekend, and 2 single bridge day(s) could turn into a four-day break.
South Korea sits in Eastern Asia, is run from Seoul, pays in South Korean Won, and has about 51.3M people planning around these same dates.
- Public holidays
- 18
- Days off work
- 16
- Weekend
- Saturday + Sunday
- Busiest month
- February (3)
- Longest gap
- 77 days
- Capital
- Seoul
| Date | Day | Holiday | Local name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day | 새해 |
| Mon, Feb 16 | Monday | Lunar New Year | 설날 |
| Tue, Feb 17 | Tuesday | Lunar New Year | 설날 |
| Wed, Feb 18 | Wednesday | Lunar New Year | 설날 |
| Mon, Mar 2 | Monday | Independence Movement Day | 3·1절 |
| Fri, May 1 | Friday | Labour Day | 노동절 |
| Tue, May 5 | Tuesday | Children's Day | 어린이날 |
| Mon, May 25 | Monday | Buddha's Birthday | 부처님 오신 날 |
| Wed, Jun 3 | Wednesday | Local Election Day | 지방 선거일 |
| Sat, Jun 6 | Saturday | Memorial Day | 현충일 |
| Fri, Jul 17 | Friday | Constitution Day | 제헌절 |
| Mon, Aug 17 | Monday | Liberation Day | 광복절 |
| Thu, Sep 24 | Thursday | Chuseok | 추석 |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Friday | Chuseok | 추석 |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Saturday | Chuseok | 추석 |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Monday | National Foundation Day | 개천절 |
| Fri, Oct 9 | Friday | Hangul Day | 한글날 |
| Fri, Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | 크리스마스 |
How many public holidays does South Korea have in 2026?
18 — of which 16 fall on a working day and 2 fall on the Saturday + Sunday weekend.
What is the first public holiday in South Korea in 2026?
새해 on Thursday, January 1, 2026. The last one of the year is 크리스마스 on Friday, December 25, 2026.
Which days are the weekend in South Korea?
Saturday + Sunday. Working-day counts on this site use that pattern, not a fixed Saturday–Sunday assumption.
When is the longest period without a public holiday in South Korea in 2026?
Between Friday, October 9, 2026 and Friday, December 25, 2026 — 77 days with nothing official in between.
Are these 2026 dates confirmed?
Yes, all 18 dates come from the official calendar (source: Nager.Date public holiday API) and none are moon-sighting estimates.