South Korea Long Weekends 2026
South Korea has 18 public holiday days in 2026, and between the substitute-holiday system and a run of Friday holidays they produce ten long weekends. The biggest are the five-day Seollal break (14–18 Feb) and the four-day Chuseok break (24–27 Sep). The other eight are three-day weekends: four built on in-lieu Mondays (Independence Movement Day, Buddha’s Birthday, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day) and four on holidays that already fall on a Friday (Labour Day, Constitution Day, Hangeul Day and Christmas).
South Korea long weekends in 2026
Seollal (Lunar New Year)
5 daysFeb 14 – 18
Sat–Wed: the weekend plus the three Seollal days (Feb 16–18).
Independence Movement Day
3 daysFeb 28 – Mar 2
Sat–Mon: the weekend plus the Mar 2 substitute holiday.
Labour Day
3 daysMay 1 – 3
Buddha's Birthday
3 daysMay 23 – 25
Sat–Mon: the weekend plus the May 25 substitute holiday.
Constitution Day
3 daysJul 17 – 19
Liberation Day
3 daysAug 15 – 17
Sat–Mon: the weekend plus the Aug 17 substitute holiday.
Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
4 daysSep 24 – 27
Thu–Sun: the three Chuseok days plus the following Sunday.
National Foundation Day
3 daysOct 3 – 5
Sat–Mon: the weekend plus the Oct 5 substitute holiday.
Hangeul Day
3 daysOct 9 – 11
Christmas
3 daysDec 25 – 27
Fri–Sun: Christmas Day plus the weekend.
How substitute holidays create long weekends in 2026
When a public holiday falls on a weekend or overlaps another holiday, Korea adds a substitute day (대체공휴일) on the next working day. In 2026 that produced four in-lieu Mondays — Mar 2, May 25, Aug 17 and Oct 5 — each turning the prior weekend into a Sat–Mon long weekend (Independence Movement Day, Buddha’s Birthday, Liberation Day and National Foundation Day).
Seollal (16–18 Feb) and Chuseok (24–26 Sep) get no substitute this year, but the surrounding weekend still extends them — five days for Seollal and four for Chuseok. Four more holidays need no help at all because they already land on a Friday: Labour Day (May 1) and Constitution Day (Jul 17), both public holidays for the first time in 2026, plus Hangeul Day (Oct 9) and Christmas (Dec 25).
Official sources & data
- 관공서의 공휴일에 관한 규정 (Regulations on Holidays of Public Offices), Presidential Decree No. 36290, in force 11 May 2026Visit sourceMinistry of Government Legislation, Republic of Korea (National Law Information Center)
- 올해부터 노동절, 제헌절 공휴일로 (Labour Day and Constitution Day become public holidays this year)Visit sourceMinistry of Personnel Management, Republic of Korea
- 관공서의 공휴일에 관한 규정 — 제정·개정이유 (amendment history and rationale)Visit sourceMinistry of Government Legislation, Republic of Korea (National Law Information Center)
- Extra long weekend in July, as Constitution Day reinstated as public holidayVisit sourceThe Korea Herald
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does South Korea have in 2026?+
Ten: Seollal (14–18 Feb), Independence Movement Day (28 Feb–2 Mar), Labour Day (1–3 May), Buddha’s Birthday (23–25 May), Constitution Day (17–19 Jul), Liberation Day (15–17 Aug), Chuseok (24–27 Sep), National Foundation Day (3–5 Oct), Hangeul Day (9–11 Oct) and Christmas (25–27 Dec).
Which 2026 Korea long weekends need no annual leave?+
All ten need no leave. The four substitute-Monday weekends and the four Friday holidays are automatic; Seollal and Chuseok already span the weekend. Taking the gap days around them stretches the breaks even further.
When is the longest Korea long weekend in 2026?+
Seollal, the Lunar New Year: the public holiday is 16–18 February, and with the prior weekend most workers get a five-day break from 14 to 18 February.
Why does South Korea have so many three-day weekends in 2026?+
It works from both ends. Four national holidays fall on a weekend in 2026 (Independence Movement Day, Buddha’s Birthday, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day), so the substitute-holiday rule adds an in-lieu Monday for each, creating Sat–Mon breaks. Four others — Labour Day, Constitution Day, Hangeul Day and Christmas — happen to fall on a Friday, giving Fri–Sun breaks with no rule needed. That is eight of the year’s ten long weekends.
Where can I download the South Korea 2026 holiday calendar?+
Our South Korea 2026 public holidays page and the holiday calendar downloads hub offer ICS and CSV files, including the substitute holidays, ready for Google, Apple or Outlook calendars.