5 days off for 1 day of leave
Long weekends 2026 in South Korea
South Korea has 18 public holidays in 2026, and 16 of them land on a weekday. Book 1 day of leave for 1 to 5 May and you are off for 5 days straight. The longest break with up to 10 days of leave: 10 days, 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, for 4 days of leave.
- Bank holidays 2026
- 18
- on weekdays
- 16
- bridge days
- 2
- off for 4 days of annual leave
- 10 days
The 2026 calendar in South Korea
South Korea has 18 public holidays in 2026, taken from the official government list. 2 fall on a weekend.
Leave rules differ by employer and contract in South Korea, so the planner shows every budget from one to ten days. Among the 16 countries we cover outside our main markets, South Korea ranks number 1 for full days off this year.
All public holidays 2026 in South Korea, one by one
Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer break.
- Thursday, January 1: 새해. New Year's Day on 1 January is a quiet day; Korea celebrates the big family new year at Seollal. Many people watch the first sunrise on the east coast. Take Friday, January 2 off and you have 4 days in a row, 1 to 4 January.
- Monday, February 16: 설날. Seollal, the Lunar New Year, is one of Korea's two great family holidays. People travel to their hometowns, honour ancestors and eat tteokguk, rice cake soup, over a three day break. That makes 5 days off in a row without using any leave, 14 to 18 February.
- Tuesday, February 17: 설날. Seollal, the Lunar New Year, is one of Korea's two great family holidays. People travel to their hometowns, honour ancestors and eat tteokguk, rice cake soup, over a three day break. You get 5 free days in a row, 14 to 18 February, with no leave needed.
- Wednesday, February 18: 설날. Seollal, the Lunar New Year, is one of Korea's two great family holidays. People travel to their hometowns, honour ancestors and eat tteokguk, rice cake soup, over a three day break. That makes 5 days off in a row without using any leave, 14 to 18 February.
- Monday, March 2: 3·1절. Independence Movement Day on 1 March remembers the 1919 movement against Japanese rule. Ceremonies take place nationwide, and spring is close. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 28 February to 2 March.
- Friday, May 1: 노동절. Labour Day on 1 May honours workers and sits at the start of the spring travel season, often close to Children's Day. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 1 to 3 May.
- Tuesday, May 5: 어린이날. Children's Day on 5 May is a day of family outings, amusement parks and gifts for children, in the middle of the spring travel season. Take Monday, May 4 off and you have 5 days in a row, 1 to 5 May.
- Monday, May 25: 부처님 오신 날. Buddha's Birthday is celebrated with lanterns hung in temples and the Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul. Temple stays are popular on this day. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 23 to 25 May.
- Wednesday, June 3: 지방 선거일. Election day is a public holiday in Korea so that everyone can vote. Many people vote early in the morning and use the rest of the day for a short outing. Take Monday, June 1 and Tuesday, June 2 off and you have 5 days in a row, 30 May to 3 June.
- Saturday, June 6: 현충일. Memorial Day on 6 June honours those who died for the country, with a siren and a minute of silence at 10 a.m. It falls on a Saturday, and South Korea's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
- Friday, July 17: 제헌절. Constitution Day on 17 July marks the proclamation of the 1948 constitution. It falls at the start of the summer holiday season. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 17 to 19 July.
- Monday, August 17: 광복절. Liberation Day on 15 August marks the end of Japanese rule in 1945. Flags fly across the country in the middle of summer holidays. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 15 to 17 August.
- Thursday, September 24: 추석. Chuseok, the harvest moon festival, is Korea's biggest family holiday. Over three days, people travel home, visit ancestors' graves and share songpyeon rice cakes. You get 4 free days in a row, 24 to 27 September, with no leave needed.
- Friday, September 25: 추석. Chuseok, the harvest moon festival, is Korea's biggest family holiday. Over three days, people travel home, visit ancestors' graves and share songpyeon rice cakes. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, 24 to 27 September.
- Saturday, September 26: 추석. Chuseok, the harvest moon festival, is Korea's biggest family holiday. Over three days, people travel home, visit ancestors' graves and share songpyeon rice cakes. It falls on a Saturday, and South Korea's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
- Monday, October 5: 개천절. National Foundation Day on 3 October celebrates the legendary founding of the first Korean kingdom. It often brings an autumn long weekend. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 3 to 5 October.
- Friday, October 9: 한글날. Hangul Day on 9 October celebrates the Korean alphabet created under King Sejong. It is a popular autumn day for short trips to see the foliage. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 9 to 11 October.
- Friday, December 25: 크리스마스. Christmas in Korea is a public holiday, often spent by couples and friends in the festive city lights rather than with family. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 25 to 27 December.
2026's top breaks for South Korea
Each break below starts and ends on a free day, contains at least one public holiday, and needs no more than 10 days of leave. They are ranked by how many days off each day of leave brings.
Around 새해, 1 day of leave on Fri January 2 unlocks 4 days away, 1 to 4 January.
14 to 22 February: 2 days of leave (February 19 and February 20) around 설날 give 9 days off, 4.5 days for every day used.
1 to 5 May: 1 day of leave (May 4) around 노동절 and 어린이날 gives 5 days off, 5.0 days for every day used.
19 to 27 September: 3 days of leave (21 to 23 September) around 추석 give 9 days off, 3.0 days for every day used.
3 to 11 October: 3 days of leave (6 to 8 October) around 개천절 and 한글날 give 9 days off, 3.0 days for every day used.
Around 크리스마스 and 새해, 4 days of leave on Mon December 28, Tue December 29, Wed December 30 and Thu December 31 unlock 10 days away, 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
The best breaks 2026 in South Korea
Every row is a run of weekends, public holidays and days of leave. The highlighted row brings the most days off per day of leave.
| Dates | Result | Leave on | Bank holidays | School holidays | Plan a trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 1 to Sun, Jan 4 | 4 days offfor 1 day of annual leave, 4 days off per day of leave | Fri, Jan 2 | 새해 | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Feb 14 to Sun, Feb 22 | 9 days offfor 2 days of annual leave, 4.5 days off per day of leave | Thu, Feb 19 · Fri, Feb 20 | 설날 | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Feb 28 to Sun, Mar 8 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Mar 3 · Wed, Mar 4 · Thu, Mar 5 · Fri, Mar 6 | 3·1절 | none | Plan a trip |
| Fri, May 1 to Tue, May 5 | 5 days offfor 1 day of annual leave, 5 days off per day of leave | Mon, May 4 | 노동절, 어린이날 | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, May 23 to Sun, May 31 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, May 26 · Wed, May 27 · Thu, May 28 · Fri, May 29 | 부처님 오신 날 | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, May 30 to Wed, Jun 3 | 5 days offfor 2 days of annual leave, 2.5 days off per day of leave | Mon, Jun 1 · Tue, Jun 2 | 지방 선거일 | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Jun 6 to Sun, Jun 14 | 9 days offfor 5 days of annual leave, 1.8 days off per day of leave | Mon, Jun 8 · Tue, Jun 9 · Wed, Jun 10 · Thu, Jun 11 · Fri, Jun 12 | 현충일 | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Jul 11 to Sun, Jul 19 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Mon, Jul 13 · Tue, Jul 14 · Wed, Jul 15 · Thu, Jul 16 | 제헌절 | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Aug 15 to Sun, Aug 23 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Aug 18 · Wed, Aug 19 · Thu, Aug 20 · Fri, Aug 21 | 광복절 | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Sep 19 to Sun, Sep 27 | 9 days offfor 3 days of annual leave, 3 days off per day of leave | Mon, Sep 21 · Tue, Sep 22 · Wed, Sep 23 | 추석 | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Oct 3 to Sun, Oct 11 | 9 days offfor 3 days of annual leave, 3 days off per day of leave | Tue, Oct 6 · Wed, Oct 7 · Thu, Oct 8 | 개천절, 한글날 | none | Plan a trip |
| Fri, Dec 25 to Sun, Jan 3 | 10 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.5 days off per day of leave | Mon, Dec 28 · Tue, Dec 29 · Wed, Dec 30 · Thu, Dec 31 | 크리스마스, 새해 | none | Plan a trip |
What 1 to 10 days of leave bring
For each budget, the longest run of days off in 2026.
1 day of annual leave
5 days
May 1 to May 5
노동절, 어린이날
2 days of annual leave
9 days
February 14 to February 22
설날
4 days of annual leave
10 days
May 1 to May 10
노동절, 어린이날
5 days of annual leave
12 days
February 7 to February 18
설날
8 days of annual leave
18 days
September 24 to October 11
추석, 개천절, 한글날
10 days of annual leave
19 days
January 31 to February 18
설날
2026 calendar for South Korea
- Bank holiday
- Annual leave in a break
- Weekend
- School holidays
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
The maths: days of leave in, days off out
With 1 day of leave the longest run you can build is 5 days, 1 to 5 May. Three days stretch to 9 days off (14 to 22 February). Five days, a typical week, become 12 days off around 설날, 7 to 18 February.
Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 19 days in a row, 31 January to 18 February. For nine days or more away you need 2 days of leave.
Season by season in South Korea
Winter: 새해 on January 1, 설날 on February 16, 설날 on February 17, 설날 on February 18 and 크리스마스 on December 25. The pick of the season is 14 to 22 February with 2 days of leave for 9 days off.
Spring: 3·1절 on March 2, 노동절 on May 1, 어린이날 on May 5 and 부처님 오신 날 on May 25. The pick of the season is 1 to 5 May with 1 day of leave for 5 days off.
Summer: 지방 선거일 on June 3, 현충일 on June 6, 제헌절 on July 17 and 광복절 on August 17. The pick of the season is 11 to 19 July with 4 days of leave for 9 days off.
Autumn: 추석 on September 24, 추석 on September 25, 추석 on September 26, 개천절 on October 5 and 한글날 on October 9. The pick of the season is 19 to 27 September with 3 days of leave for 9 days off.
South Korea compared with other countries
South Korea leads the list with 18 public holidays in 2026, Mexico the fewest with 7.
MexicoIts best break, 1 to 5 May, returns 5.0 days off per day of leave. No other country in our data does better this year.
Mexico
Long Weekend Planner 2026 for South Korea as a PDF
Every stretch, holiday and school break in KR on one printable page. Plus The Sunday Getaway every week and a note whenever a long weekend is worth it.
Public holidays 2026 in South Korea
| Date | Weekday | Bank holiday | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thursday | 새해 | nationwide |
| February 16 | Monday | 설날 | nationwide |
| February 17 | Tuesday | 설날 | nationwide |
| February 18 | Wednesday | 설날 | nationwide |
| March 2 | Monday | 3·1절 | nationwide |
| May 1 | Friday | 노동절 | nationwide |
| May 5 | Tuesday | 어린이날 | nationwide |
| May 25 | Monday | 부처님 오신 날 | nationwide |
| June 3 | Wednesday | 지방 선거일 | nationwide |
| June 6 | Saturday | 현충일 | nationwide |
| July 17 | Friday | 제헌절 | nationwide |
| August 17 | Monday | 광복절 | nationwide |
| September 24 | Thursday | 추석 | nationwide |
| September 25 | Friday | 추석 | nationwide |
| September 26 | Saturday | 추석 | nationwide |
| October 5 | Monday | 개천절 | nationwide |
| October 9 | Friday | 한글날 | nationwide |
| December 25 | Friday | 크리스마스 | nationwide |
Where to go on a long weekend from South Korea
Koreans spend long weekends on Jeju Island in spring and summer, in Gyeongju for history in autumn, and in Seoraksan National Park for the autumn foliage. Busan's beaches are the classic summer escape.
Your strongest breaks this year fall in January, February and May, so pick the trip that suits that season, and book early: everyone else in South Korea has the same days off.
South Korea in other years
2027 and 2028 are planned as well, each with its own dates and breaks.
Holiday dates move every year: fixed-date days change their weekday, and Easter moves between late March and late April, which is why the best breaks are never the same twice.
Where these dates come from
Every date on this page comes from the official source for South Korea, read directly and compared day by day with an independent second source. A year appears once its official list is published, and we never fill a gap with another country's dates.
The planner treats weekends and full public holidays as free days and works out where your days of leave turn into the longest time off. Days kept in part of South Korea or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.
Long Weekend Planner 2026 in KR: frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does South Korea have in 2026?
18 public holidays: 새해 on January 1, 설날 on February 16, 설날 on February 17, 설날 on February 18, 3·1절 on March 2, 노동절 on May 1, 어린이날 on May 5, 부처님 오신 날 on May 25, 지방 선거일 on June 3, 현충일 on June 6, 제헌절 on July 17, 광복절 on August 17, 추석 on September 24, 추석 on September 25, 추석 on September 26, 개천절 on October 5, 한글날 on October 9 and 크리스마스 on December 25. 16 fall on a weekday.
What is the best long weekend in South Korea in 2026?
1 to 5 May: 1 day of leave gives 5 days off around 노동절 and 어린이날.
How many days of leave do I need for nine days off in 2026?
2 days of leave: take February 19 and February 20 off and you are off 14 to 22 February.
Is Good Friday a public holiday in South Korea in 2026?
No. Good Friday is not on South Korea's official list for 2026, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in South Korea in 2026?
No. Christmas Eve is not on South Korea's official list for 2026, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
2026 in the other countries
How the Long Weekend Planner works
Holidays: the public holidays from the official list in KR, checked date by date. The planner counts only days off for the whole region.
Stretches: start and end on a day off, include at least one holiday and at most 10 days of annual leave. Ranked by days off per day of leave; Saturday and Sunday count as free.
School holidays: officially published dates only, checked every month. Trip ideas: the month's climate and flights from the region's main airport.
