The Holiday Ledger. 2026 Edition

South Korea - Public Holidays 2026

Source: Korean Law Information Center - Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices

South Korea observes 20 public holiday days in 2026, of which 14 fall on weekdays.

20
Public holiday days(1)
14
Fall on weekdays, Mon-Fri

South Korea - Public Holidays 2026

Source: Korean Law Information Center - Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices
#HolidayDateDay
1New Year's Day01 Jan 2026Thu
2Seollal / Lunar New Year, 3 days16-18 Feb 2026Mon-Wed
3Independence Movement Day01 Mar 2026Sun
4Substitute holiday for Independence Movement Day(2)02 Mar 2026Mon
5Children's Day05 May 2026Tue
6Buddha's Birthday24 May 2026Sun
7Substitute holiday for Buddha's Birthday(2)25 May 2026Mon
8Local Election Day(3)03 Jun 2026Wed
9Memorial Day06 Jun 2026Sat
10Liberation Day15 Aug 2026Sat
11Substitute holiday for Liberation Day(2)17 Aug 2026Mon
12Chuseok / Korean Thanksgiving, 3 days24-26 Sep 2026Thu-Sat
13National Foundation Day03 Oct 2026Sat
14Substitute holiday for National Foundation Day(2)05 Oct 2026Mon
15Hangeul Day09 Oct 2026Fri
16Christmas Day25 Dec 2026Fri

2026 Calendar View

Public holidays shaded - weeks start Monday
Public holidayWeekend

Notes & Sources

  1. Holidays are designated under the Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices (Presidential Decree), Korean Law Information Center: law.go.kr; 2026 dates corroborated by the official government calendar guideline released Jun-25. Labour Day (01 May) is a paid day off for private-sector employees under separate legislation but is not a public holiday under the Decree and is excluded here.
  2. Substitute holidays: when an eligible holiday falls on a weekend, the next working day becomes a holiday. In 2026: Mon 02 Mar (for Independence Movement Day, Sun 01 Mar), Mon 25 May (for Buddha's Birthday, Sun 24 May), Mon 17 Aug (for Liberation Day, Sat 15 Aug) and Mon 05 Oct (for National Foundation Day, Sat 03 Oct). Seollal and Chuseok substitute only when a day falls on a Sunday, so Chuseok's Saturday (26 Sep) creates no substitute; New Year's Day and Memorial Day are excluded by law, so Sat 06 Jun creates none.
  3. Wed 03 Jun 2026 is the nationwide local election day, a statutory public holiday under the Public Official Election Act.
Disclaimer. This page is an independent reference compiled from the official sources cited above and is not affiliated with any government. Holiday arrangements may be amended by one-off government announcements; always confirm against the primary source before relying on a date for legal, payroll or settlement purposes.