South Korea Substitute Holidays 2025
In 2025, South Korea’s substitute-holiday system (대체공휴일) added three days off: Mar 3 (Independence Movement Day on a Saturday), May 6 (Children’s Day overlapping Buddha’s Birthday) and Oct 8 (Chuseok starting on a Sunday). The government also designated Jan 27 as a temporary holiday to stretch Seollal into a six-day break.
Dates in 2025
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 3, 2025 | Monday | Substitute Holiday (Independence Movement Day)Independence Movement Day falls on a Saturday, so Monday is a substitute holiday.Substitute holiday | Substitute holiday |
| May 6, 2025 | Tuesday | Substitute HolidayBecause Children's Day overlaps Buddha's Birthday, the next day is a substitute holiday.Substitute holiday | Substitute holiday |
| October 8, 2025 | Wednesday | Substitute Holiday (Chuseok)Chuseok starts on Sunday (Oct 5), so a substitute holiday is added on Oct 8.Substitute holiday | Substitute holiday |
Which holidays trigger a substitute day
Seollal and Chuseok get a substitute when one of their days overlaps a Sunday or another public holiday (a Saturday alone does not count). Children’s Day, the five national days (Independence Movement Day, Constitution Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, Hangeul Day), Buddha’s Birthday and Christmas get one when they fall on a Saturday or Sunday. From 2026, Labour Day and Constitution Day are also covered.
Memorial Day (Jun 6) and New Year’s Day (Jan 1) are not on the substitute list, so when they fall on a weekend no extra day off is added.
Official sources & data
- 관공서의 공휴일에 관한 규정 (Regulations on Holidays of Public Offices)Visit sourceMinistry of Government Legislation, Republic of Korea (National Law Information Center)
- 1월 27일 임시공휴일 지정 국무회의 의결 (Cabinet designates January 27 a temporary public holiday)Visit sourceMinistry of Personnel Management, Republic of Korea
- Public Holidays in KoreaVisit sourceKorea Tourism Organization (VisitKorea)
- Gov't designates Jan. 27 as temporary holidayVisit sourceYonhap News Agency
Frequently asked questions
How many substitute holidays did South Korea have in 2025?+
Three: Mar 3, May 6 and Oct 8. The Jan 27 temporary holiday was a separate, government-designated day, not a substitute holiday.
Why was Oct 8, 2025 a substitute holiday?+
The three-day Chuseok holiday began on Sunday, Oct 5. Because a Chuseok day overlapped a Sunday, a substitute holiday was added on the next working day, Oct 8.
What is a substitute holiday (대체공휴일) in South Korea?+
It is an extra weekday off granted when certain public holidays fall on a weekend or overlap another holiday, so workers do not lose the day. The rules above list which holidays qualify.
Why was May 6, 2025 a substitute holiday?+
Children’s Day (May 5) overlapped Buddha’s Birthday in 2025, so a substitute day was added on the next working day, May 6.
What is the difference between a substitute holiday and a temporary holiday?+
A substitute holiday is created automatically by law when a qualifying holiday falls on a weekend. A temporary holiday (임시공휴일) is a one-off day the government designates case by case — like Jan 27, 2025, which stretched Seollal into a six-day break.
Which holidays never get a substitute day?+
Memorial Day (Jun 6) and New Year’s Day (Jan 1) are not on the substitute list, so no extra day off is added when they fall on a weekend.