Public Holidays in South Korea 2023 🇰🇷

South Korea has 19 public holidays in 2023. The next public holiday is Liberation Day on 15. Aug. 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	Sunday	New Year's Day	Public holiday
21. Jan	Saturday	The day preceding Korean New Year	Public holiday
22. Jan	Sunday	Korean New Year	Public holiday
23. Jan	Monday Long weekend	The second day of Korean New Year	Public holiday
24. Jan	Tuesday Bridge day	Alternative holiday for Korean New Year	Public holiday
1. Mar	Wednesday	Independence Movement Day	Public holiday
1. May	Monday Long weekend	Workers' Day	Bank holiday
5. May	Friday Long weekend	Children's Day	Public holiday
27. May	Saturday	Buddha's Birthday	Public holiday
29. May	Monday Long weekend	Alternative holiday for Buddha's Birthday	Public holiday
6. Jun	Tuesday Bridge day	Memorial Day	Public holiday
15. Aug	Tuesday Bridge day	Liberation Day	Public holiday
28. Sep	Thursday Bridge day	The day preceding Chuseok	Public holiday
29. Sep	Friday Long weekend	Chuseok	Public holiday
30. Sep	Saturday	The second day of Chuseok	Public holiday
2. Oct	Monday Long weekend	Temporary Public Holiday	Public holiday
3. Oct	Tuesday Bridge day	National Foundation Day	Public holiday
9. Oct	Monday Long weekend	Hangul Day	Public holiday
25. Dec	Monday Long weekend	Christmas Day	Public holiday

Long weekends in South Korea 2023

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

The second day of Korean New Year — 23. Jan (Monday) — long weekend
Alternative holiday for Korean New Year — 24. Jan (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Workers' Day — 1. May (Monday) — long weekend
Children's Day — 5. May (Friday) — long weekend
Alternative holiday for Buddha's Birthday — 29. May (Monday) — long weekend
Memorial Day — 6. Jun (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Liberation Day — 15. Aug (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
The day preceding Chuseok — 28. Sep (Thursday) — take Friday off to bridge into the weekend
Chuseok — 29. Sep (Friday) — long weekend
Temporary Public Holiday — 2. Oct (Monday) — long weekend
National Foundation Day — 3. Oct (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Hangul Day — 9. Oct (Monday) — long weekend
Christmas Day — 25. Dec (Monday) — long 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 2023 to 2024.

The day preceding Korean New Year: 21. Jan 2023 → 9. Feb 2024
Korean New Year: 22. Jan 2023 → 10. Feb 2024
The second day of Korean New Year: 23. Jan 2023 → 11. Feb 2024
Alternative holiday for Korean New Year: 24. Jan 2023 → 12. Feb 2024
Buddha's Birthday: 27. May 2023 → 15. May 2024
The day preceding Chuseok: 28. Sep 2023 → 16. Sep 2024
Chuseok: 29. Sep 2023 → 17. Sep 2024
The second day of Chuseok: 30. Sep 2023 → 18. Sep 2024

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 2023?

South Korea observes 19 public holidays in 2023. 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 Liberation Day on 15. Aug.

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 2023.