📅 Korean Holidays 2026: Complete Calendar Guide
If you are learning Korean or planning to visit Korea, it is helpful to know about Korean public holidays.
In Korea, public holidays are called 공휴일 (gonghyuil). Many offices, banks, and schools are closed on these days.
Some Korean holidays follow the solar calendar, while others follow the lunar calendar.
🇰🇷 Korean Public Holidays in 2026
| Date | Holiday | Korean | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | New Year’s Day | 신정 | First day of the year |
| Feb 16–18 | Seollal (Lunar New Year) | 설날 | One of the biggest Korean holidays |
| Mar 1 | Independence Movement Day | 삼일절 | Commemorates the 1919 independence movement |
| May 5 | Children’s Day | 어린이날 | Celebration for children |
| May 24 | Buddha’s Birthday | 부처님 오신 날 | Important Buddhist holiday |
| Jun 6 | Memorial Day | 현충일 | Honors fallen soldiers |
| Aug 15 | Liberation Day | 광복절 | Celebrates independence from Japan |
| Sep 24–26 | Chuseok | 추석 | Korean Thanksgiving holiday |
| Oct 3 | National Foundation Day | 개천절 | Celebrates the founding of Korea |
| Oct 9 | Hangul Day | 한글날 | Celebrates the Korean alphabet |
| Dec 25 | Christmas | 크리스마스 | National holiday in Korea |
🎉 The Biggest Korean Holidays
Seollal (설날)
Seollal is the Korean Lunar New Year. Families gather together, perform ancestral rituals, and eat traditional food such as 떡국 (tteokguk).
Chuseok (추석)
Chuseok is often called the Korean Thanksgiving. Families celebrate the harvest season and eat traditional foods like 송편 (songpyeon).
📚 Korean Vocabulary About Holidays
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 공휴일 | Public holiday |
| 명절 | Traditional holiday |
| 세배 | New Year bow |
| 차례 | Ancestral ritual |
| 성묘 | Visiting ancestors’ graves |
💡 Tip for Korean Learners
Korean holidays are strongly connected to family traditions and culture.
Learning about these holidays will help you understand Korean society and language better.