South Korea Public Holidays 2028
South Korea's 2028 calendar follows the standing rules — the government has not yet published the year's official notice, so these dates are projections based on the public-holiday regulations and the lunar calendar, and will be updated when the notice lands. Seollal runs Jan 26–28 (main day Jan 27), flowing into the weekend for a five-day break. Chuseok runs Oct 2–4 and its main day (Oct 3) coincides with National Foundation Day, generating a substitute holiday on Oct 5 — a six-day break from Sep 30. It is the year's only substitute holiday, a sharp contrast with 2027's seven.
Public holidays
18 days (incl. election day)
Substitute holidays
1 (Oct 5)
Seollal (Lunar New Year)
Jan 26–28
Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
Oct 2–4
2028 South Korea calendar
01January
02February
03March
04April
05May
06June
07July
08August
09September
10October
11November
12December
South Korea public holiday list
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2028 | Saturday | New Year's DayFalls on a Saturday in 2028; New Year's Day is not covered by the substitute-holiday rules, so the day is simply absorbed by the weekend.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| Jan 26 – 28 | Wednesday – | Seollal (Lunar New Year)New Year's Eve (Jan 26), the day itself (Jan 27, Thursday) and the day after. No day falls on a Sunday, so there is no substitute — but the following weekend turns it into a five-day break (Jan 26–30).Public holiday | Public holiday |
| March 1, 2028 | Wednesday | Independence Movement DayFalls on a Wednesday in 2028 — a midweek break that touches no weekend.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 12, 2028 | Wednesday | General Election DayThe 23rd National Assembly election is set for Wednesday April 12, 2028 under the Public Official Election Act, and election day is a day off for public agencies by law. Formal designation comes closer to the date.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 1, 2028 | Monday | Labour DayFalls on a Monday — with the weekend and Buddha's Birthday (May 2) it makes a four-day break (Apr 29–May 2).Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 2, 2028 | Tuesday | Buddha's BirthdayEighth day of the fourth lunar month; falls on a Tuesday in 2028.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 5, 2028 | Friday | Children's DayFalls on a Friday, giving a three-day weekend (May 5–7).Public holiday | Public holiday |
| June 6, 2028 | Tuesday | Memorial DayFalls on a Tuesday in 2028; Memorial Day has no substitute holiday. Take Monday Jun 5 as leave for a four-day break.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| July 17, 2028 | Monday | Constitution DayFalls on a Monday, giving a three-day weekend (Jul 15–17).Public holiday | Public holiday |
| August 15, 2028 | Tuesday | Liberation DayFalls on a Tuesday in 2028. Take Monday Aug 14 as leave for a four-day break.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| Oct 2 – 4 | Monday – | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)The eve (Oct 2), Chuseok itself (Oct 3, Tuesday) and the day after. The main day coincides with National Foundation Day, so a substitute holiday is added on Oct 5 — with the prior weekend this makes a six-day break (Sep 30–Oct 5).Public holiday | Public holiday |
| October 3, 2028 | Tuesday | National Foundation DayFalls on the same day as Chuseok (Oct 3) in 2028 — the overlap is what triggers the Oct 5 substitute holiday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| October 5, 2028 | Thursday | Substitute Holiday (Chuseok & National Foundation Day)The Chuseok break overlaps National Foundation Day (Oct 3), so the next non-holiday day (Thursday Oct 5) becomes a substitute holiday.Substitute holiday | Substitute holiday |
| October 9, 2028 | Monday | Hangeul DayFalls on a Monday, giving a three-day weekend (Oct 7–9) — just one working day (Oct 6) after the Chuseok break.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 25, 2028 | Monday | Christmas DayFalls on a Monday, giving a three-day weekend (Dec 23–25).Public holiday | Public holiday |
South Korea long weekends in 2028
Seollal (Lunar New Year)
5 daysJan 26 – 30
Wed–Sun: the three Seollal days run straight into the weekend.
Labour Day & Buddha’s Birthday
4 daysApr 29 – May 2
Sat–Tue: the weekend plus Labour Day (Mon) and Buddha’s Birthday (Tue).
Children's Day
3 daysMay 5 – 7
Fri–Sun: Children’s Day falls on a Friday.
Constitution Day
3 daysJul 15 – 17
Sat–Mon: the weekend plus Constitution Day on Monday.
Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
6 daysSep 30 – Oct 5
Sat–Thu: the weekend, the three Chuseok days (Oct 2–4, overlapping National Foundation Day on Oct 3) and the Oct 5 substitute holiday. Take Friday Oct 6 as leave and the break runs through Hangeul Day — ten days, Sep 30–Oct 9.
Hangeul Day
3 daysOct 7 – 9
Sat–Mon: the weekend plus Hangeul Day on Monday.
Christmas
3 daysDec 23 – 25
Sat–Mon: the weekend plus Christmas on Monday.
Chuseok 2028: six days off, ten with one day of leave
Chuseok 2028 runs Monday Oct 2 to Wednesday Oct 4, and its main day (Oct 3) lands on the same date as National Foundation Day. Korea’s substitute-holiday rules cover a Seollal or Chuseok break that overlaps another public holiday, so the next non-holiday day — Thursday Oct 5 — becomes a substitute holiday. With the weekend of Sep 30–Oct 1 in front, the continuous break is six days, from Saturday Sep 30 to Thursday Oct 5.
The break stops one working day short of Hangeul Day (Monday Oct 9). Taking Friday Oct 6 as paid leave joins the two into a ten-day stretch from Sep 30 to Oct 9 — the same “golden holiday” pattern Korea last saw in 2025. KTX tickets and domestic flights for the first days of October will sell out early.
Why 2028 has only one substitute holiday
2027 was an outlier with seven substitute holidays, because Labour Day, Constitution Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, Hangeul Day and Christmas all landed on a weekend. In 2028 the calendar flips: every one of those holidays falls on a weekday — mostly Mondays and Tuesdays — so the substitute mechanism fires only once, when Chuseok overlaps National Foundation Day on Oct 3. The trade-off is that New Year’s Day falls on a Saturday and, being outside the substitute rules, is simply lost to the weekend.
Note also that Memorial Day (Jun 6) is never covered by the substitute rules, whatever the weekday — in 2028 it falls on a Tuesday anyway, so no question arises.
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Official sources & data
- Act on Public Holidays — substitute-holiday provisionsVisit sourceKorea Ministry of Government Legislation
- Labour Day and Constitution Day designated public holidays (Cabinet approval)Visit sourceYonhap News Agency
- Next golden break is 2028 Chuseok — up to ten days offVisit sourceAsia Economy (citing Yonhap)
- Holidays and observances in South Korea in 2028Visit sourcetimeanddate.com
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does South Korea have in 2028?+
As the rules stand, about 17 statutory holiday days, plus the April 12 general election day, and one substitute holiday (Oct 5). The government can still designate additional temporary holidays closer to the year.
When is Seollal (Korean New Year) 2028?+
Seollal is Jan 26–28, 2028 (Wed–Fri), with Lunar New Year’s Day on Thursday Jan 27. The following weekend extends it to a five-day break (Jan 26–30). Note that Korea’s Seollal (Jan 27) is one day later than Chinese New Year (Jan 26) in 2028 — the Korean and Chinese lunar calendars occasionally diverge because they key the new moon to different time zones.
When is Chuseok 2028?+
Chuseok is Oct 2–4, 2028 (Mon–Wed), with the main day on Tuesday Oct 3 — the same day as National Foundation Day. The overlap triggers a substitute holiday on Thursday Oct 5, so the continuous break is six days, Sep 30–Oct 5. One day of leave on Oct 6 extends it through Hangeul Day (Oct 9) for ten days off.
Why is there only one substitute holiday in 2028?+
Substitute holidays are granted when a covered holiday falls on a weekend, or when the Seollal/Chuseok break overlaps another holiday. In 2028 every covered holiday lands on a weekday, so the rule fires only once — for the Chuseok–National Foundation Day overlap on Oct 3, producing the Oct 5 substitute. New Year’s Day falls on a Saturday but is not covered, so it is simply lost.
Is there a public holiday for the 2028 general election in Korea?+
Yes. The 23rd National Assembly election is scheduled for Wednesday April 12, 2028 under the Public Official Election Act, and election days are days off for public agencies by law. The date is set by statute and formally confirmed closer to the election.
Are the 2028 South Korea holiday dates final?+
Not yet officially — the government publishes the year’s arrangement late in the preceding year, so this page is a projection from the standing rules and the lunar calendar. Those rules are stable, so the dates here are reliable, but we will update the page when the official notice lands, and temporary holidays can still be added during the year.
