If you're planning a trip to Korea, it pays to know the public holidays. Most of the year they won't affect you much — but a couple of them (the big two, Seollal and Chuseok) can shut down half the country for several days, while others fill every train and tourist spot to bursting. Knowing which is which helps you avoid the chaos, or join the fun on purpose.
Here's the full rundown of South Korea's national holidays, what each one means, and the practical things a visitor should know.
Korea runs on two calendars. Some holidays sit on fixed solar dates every year; others follow the lunar calendar, so their solar date shifts annually. The two biggest — Seollal and Chuseok — are lunar, which is why their dates move and why you should always check them before booking a trip.
The fixed-date holidays
These fall on the same date every year, so they're easy to plan around:
- New Year's Day — 1 January (신정): the solar new year. A single day off; far lower-key than the lunar new year.
- Independence Movement Day — 1 March (삼일절): commemorates the 1919 March 1st Movement against colonial rule. A solemn national day.
- Children's Day — 5 May (어린이날): a big family day — theme parks, zoos and kid-friendly spots are packed.
- Memorial Day — 6 June (현충일): honours those who died in military service. Quiet and reflective, with a national moment of silence.
- Liberation Day — 15 August (광복절): marks Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.
- National Foundation Day — 3 October (개천절): celebrates the mythical founding of the first Korean kingdom, Gojoseon, by Dangun.
- Hangeul Day — 9 October (한글날): celebrates the creation of the Korean alphabet, hangeul, by King Sejong — a point of huge national pride.
- Christmas Day — 25 December (성탄절): a public holiday in Korea, celebrated widely if more as a couples'/social day than a strictly religious one.
The lunar (moving) holidays
These shift each year because they follow the lunar calendar — always check the current year's dates:
Substitute holidays — the bonus day off
Korea has a substitute holiday (대체공휴일) system: when certain holidays fall on a weekend (or overlap each other), the country gets a make-up day off on the next working day. It's good news for locals, but it can extend a holiday period — and the associated travel crush — by an extra day, so factor it in when you check the calendar.
What this means for your trip
Here's how the holidays actually affect a visitor:
- Seollal & Chuseok are the ones to watch. Many small restaurants, shops and family-run businesses close for several days, cities can feel eerily empty, and trains and buses sell out far in advance. Major attractions, palaces and big department stores often do stay open (sometimes with special events and free palace entry), but always check ahead.
- Transport books out early. For the big two especially, reserve KTX tickets the moment booking opens, and expect heavy highway traffic.
- Some holidays are great to catch on purpose. Buddha's Birthday lanterns, the Children's Day buzz, or a palace event during Chuseok can be a lovely thing to experience as a traveller.
- Single-day holidays barely register. Most fixed-date holidays just mean banks and offices close; shops, cafés and attractions largely run as normal.
Whatever the season, double-check the exact holiday dates for your travel year before you book — the lunar ones move, and the substitute-holiday rule can quietly add an extra day. For getting around once you're here, see our Seoul subway guide and T-money card guide.
Beyond the public holidays
Korea also celebrates important traditional days that aren't public holidays — the calendar is richer than the days off suggest. The midsummer festival Dano and the first full moon of the year, Jeongwol Daeboreum, are both deeply traditional occasions that most Koreans still mark in some way, even though nobody gets the day off for them.
Dive into the big two in our Seollal and Chuseok guides, or explore the traditional festivals Dano and Jeongwol Daeboreum.