Korean Public Holidays 2026: What's Open, What's Closed, and When to Visit

You've booked your trip to Korea, then someone mentions your dates land on a Korean holiday. Cue the panic: will everything be closed? Should you rebook?

Short answer: almost certainly not. Most Korean public holidays barely affect a traveler — the banks close, government offices shut, and everything else runs like a normal day. Shops open, subways run, restaurants serve, palaces welcome visitors. There are exactly two holidays that genuinely change the country's rhythm — Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (the harvest festival) — and even those come with a silver lining if you know how to play them.

Here's every 2026 public holiday with exact dates, what actually closes, and how to plan around the two that matter. For any other year, our Korean Public Holidays Calendar pulls live dates straight from the Korea Astronomical Research Institute.

All Korean Public Holidays in 2026

These dates are confirmed from official government data. Note that several holidays fall on weekends this year, which triggers substitute holidays (a weekday off instead) — more on that below.

Two 2026 specifics worth flagging. Constitution Day (제헌절) is back as a public holiday on July 17 — it was dropped in 2008 and reinstated starting this year, so a lot of older English guides still list it as a normal working day. And June 3 is a local election day, which counts as a one-off public holiday nationwide.

(One thing that trips people up: Labor Day / May Day, May 1, is not an official public holiday. Banks and many private companies close, but government offices, schools, post offices, and most shops stay open. If your bank errand fails on May 1, that's why.)

Why Some Dates Move Every Year

Korean holidays come in two flavors:

• Fixed (solar) holidays land on the same calendar date every year: New Year's Day (Jan 1), Children's Day (May 5), Liberation Day (Aug 15), Hangeul Day (Oct 9), Christmas (Dec 25), and a few others.
• Lunar holidays follow the traditional lunar calendar, so their Western date shifts by a week or two each year. The big three are Seollal (1st day of the 1st lunar month), Buddha's Birthday (8th day of the 4th lunar month), and Chuseok (15th day of the 8th lunar month).

This is why you can't just memorize "Chuseok is in September." In 2026 it's September 25; in other years it drifts into early October. If a date matters for your trip, check it against a live source rather than an old blog post — plenty of them get the lunar dates wrong. (Our holiday calendar tool uses the same government astronomical data the dates are officially set from.)

The Substitute Holiday System (대체공휴일)

Here's a genuinely useful thing to understand. When certain holidays fall on a weekend, Korea gives everyone a substitute holiday (대체공휴일, daeche gonghyuil) on the next available weekday, so the day off isn't "wasted."

In 2026 this happens four times:

Not every holiday qualifies — Memorial Day (현충일), for example, doesn't get a substitute, which is why June 6 (a Saturday in 2026) just passes without a make-up day. For a traveler, the practical takeaway is that these Mondays create three-day weekends when domestic tourist spots and popular restaurants get busier than usual.

What's Actually Open on a Normal Public Holiday

For most of the holidays above, here's the reality on the ground:

So if your trip overlaps Children's Day or Hangeul Day, don't overthink it — you'll barely notice, beyond slightly bigger crowds at family-friendly spots. (Children's Day in particular packs out theme parks, zoos, and aquariums, so save those for a different day.)

One caveat before you plan around any of this: holiday dates shift year to year, and individual businesses set their own hours and closures. The tables here are a solid general guide, but for anything you're really counting on — a specific restaurant, a museum, or transport on an exact date — confirm directly with the venue or an official source before you go. When in doubt about dates, our holiday calendar pulls them live from Korea's national astronomical data.

Seollal and Chuseok: The Two That Matter

These are Korea's biggest holidays, roughly equivalent to Thanksgiving and Lunar New Year rolled into their most family-focused form. Millions of Koreans travel to their hometowns — an annual exodus locals call 민족대이동 (minjok dae-idong, "the great migration of the people"). This changes things in ways worth planning for.

What closes: Many small, independent restaurants and family-run shops close for 2 to 5 days. Traditional markets thin out. Some department stores close on the main holiday day itself. If you were counting on a specific hole-in-the-wall spot, assume it might be shut.

Transport sells out. KTX trains and express buses between cities book up weeks in advance, and highways turn into parking lots. If you plan to move between cities during Seollal or Chuseok, reserve as early as you possibly can.

The silver lining: while everyone else leaves, Seoul empties out — and a quiet Seoul is a rare treat. The four grand palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung) plus Jongmyo Shrine usually offer free admission on Seollal and Chuseok and run special cultural programs. (One exception: Changdeokgung's Secret Garden still charges its own fee.) Convenience stores and major tourist areas stay open. If you're staying put in one city rather than traveling, these holidays can be one of the calmest, most pleasant times to visit. (This is the kind of thing only locals tend to know — everyone assumes "holiday = avoid," but for a city-based trip it can be the opposite.)

Seollal is also when the Korean zodiac year officially rolls over for traditionalists, so it's a fitting time to find out which animal you are.

Tips for Visiting During a Korean Holiday

• Book intercity transport early for Seollal (Feb 16–18) and Chuseok (Sep 24–26). This is the single most important rule.
• Don't rely on small local eateries on the two big holidays — have chain restaurants, hotel dining, or convenience-store meals as backup. Speaking of which, our convenience store guide covers what to grab when everything else is closed.
• Hit the palaces on Seollal or Chuseok for free entry and a crowd-free experience.
• Skip theme parks and family attractions on Children's Day (May 5) unless you enjoy long lines.
• Do your banking and currency exchange in advance — banks close on every public holiday, and on May 1.
• Check exact dates for the year you're traveling with our Korean Public Holidays Calendar, since the lunar ones move.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is everything closed on Korean public holidays?

No. On most public holidays, only banks and government offices close — shops, restaurants, cafes, public transit, and tourist attractions all operate normally. The two exceptions are Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (harvest festival), when many small restaurants and shops close for a few days and intercity travel gets extremely crowded.

When is Chuseok in 2026?

Chuseok in 2026 falls on Friday, September 25, with the holiday running September 24–26. The date changes every year because it follows the lunar calendar (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month). Some outdated sources list it in early October — the official government date is September 25.

When is Seollal (Lunar New Year) in 2026?

Seollal in 2026 is Tuesday, February 17, with the public holiday running February 16–18. Like Chuseok, it shifts each year based on the lunar calendar.

What is a substitute holiday in Korea?

A substitute holiday (대체공휴일) is a make-up day off granted when certain public holidays fall on a weekend. Instead of losing the holiday, everyone gets the next available weekday off. In 2026, this creates extra days off on March 2, May 25, August 17, and October 5.

Are shops and restaurants open during Seollal and Chuseok?

It's mixed. Convenience stores, major department stores, malls, and chain restaurants in tourist areas generally stay open, though some department stores close on the main holiday day. Many small independent restaurants and family-run shops close for two to five days, so it's smart to have backup options.

Is May 1 (Labor Day) a public holiday in Korea?

Not officially. Labor Day (노동절) is a legal paid day off for employees under labor law, so banks and many companies close. But it isn't a red-letter public holiday — government offices, schools, post offices, and most stores stay open as usual.

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Planning around a specific date? Our Korean Public Holidays Calendar shows official holiday dates for any month and year, pulled live from Korea's national astronomical data. And if you're traveling during Seollal or Chuseok, keep our convenience store guide handy for when the small restaurants shut.