Public Holidays in South Korea 2018 🇰🇷

South Korea has 19 public holidays in 2018. The next public holiday is The day preceding Chuseok on 24. Sep. The table below lists every national public holiday with its date and weekday, so you can plan travel, business days and time off in South Korea.

Date	Day	Holiday Name	Category
1. Jan	Monday Long weekend	New Year's Day	Public holiday
15. Feb	Thursday Bridge day	The day preceding Korean New Year	Public holiday
16. Feb	Friday Long weekend	Korean New Year	Public holiday
17. Feb	Saturday	The second day of Korean New Year	Public holiday
1. Mar	Thursday Bridge day	Independence Movement Day	Public holiday
1. May	Tuesday Bridge day	Workers' Day	Bank holiday
5. May	Saturday	Children's Day	Public holiday
7. May	Monday Long weekend	Alternative holiday for Children's Day	Public holiday
22. May	Tuesday Bridge day	Buddha's Birthday	Public holiday
6. Jun	Wednesday	Memorial Day	Public holiday
13. Jun	Wednesday	Local Election Day	Public holiday
15. Aug	Wednesday	Liberation Day	Public holiday
23. Sep	Sunday	The day preceding Chuseok	Public holiday
24. Sep	Monday Long weekend	Chuseok	Public holiday
25. Sep	Tuesday Bridge day	The second day of Chuseok	Public holiday
26. Sep	Wednesday	Alternative holiday for Chuseok	Public holiday
3. Oct	Wednesday	National Foundation Day	Public holiday
9. Oct	Tuesday Bridge day	Hangul Day	Public holiday
25. Dec	Tuesday Bridge day	Christmas Day	Public holiday

Long weekends in South Korea 2018

These public holidays fall next to the weekend or just one bridge day away, making it easy to plan an extended break.

New Year's Day — 1. Jan (Monday) — long weekend
The day preceding Korean New Year — 15. Feb (Thursday) — take Friday off to bridge into the weekend
Korean New Year — 16. Feb (Friday) — long weekend
Independence Movement Day — 1. Mar (Thursday) — take Friday off to bridge into the weekend
Workers' Day — 1. May (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Alternative holiday for Children's Day — 7. May (Monday) — long weekend
Buddha's Birthday — 22. May (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Chuseok — 24. Sep (Monday) — long weekend
The second day of Chuseok — 25. Sep (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Hangul Day — 9. Oct (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Christmas Day — 25. Dec (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend

Holidays that change date in South Korea

Some holidays are movable and land on a different date each year. Here is how these dates shift from 2018 to 2019.

The day preceding Korean New Year: 15. Feb 2018 → 4. Feb 2019
Korean New Year: 16. Feb 2018 → 5. Feb 2019
The second day of Korean New Year: 17. Feb 2018 → 6. Feb 2019
Alternative holiday for Children's Day: 7. May 2018 → 6. May 2019
Buddha's Birthday: 22. May 2018 → 12. May 2019
The day preceding Chuseok: 23. Sep 2018 → 12. Sep 2019
Chuseok: 24. Sep 2018 → 13. Sep 2019
The second day of Chuseok: 25. Sep 2018 → 14. Sep 2019

Browse Holidays for Other Years in South Korea:

2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many public holidays does South Korea have in 2018?

South Korea observes 19 public holidays in 2018. Each is listed above with its date and weekday.

What is the next public holiday in South Korea?

The next public holiday in South Korea is The day preceding Chuseok on 24. Sep.

Are public holidays in South Korea the same every year?

Most national holidays recur on the same date each year, while some (such as religious or lunar-calendar holidays) move. This page is updated for 2018.