Public holidays in Asia
Public holidays in South Korea each belong to one or more of three categories:
Each category has a different legal basis. All national day
are also flag-raising days
| English name | Korean name | Transliteration | Date | Remarks | National celebration day | Flag raising | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 신정 | Sinjeong | January 1 | The official name of the holiday means New Calendar New Year's Day | no | no | yes |
| Korean New Year | 설날 | Seollal | 1st day of 1st lunar month | Also called Seol (설) or Gujeong (Korean: 구정; Hanja: 舊正). The first day of the Lunar calendar. It is one of the most important of the traditional Korean holidays, and is considered a more important holiday than the Gregorian New Year's Day.[1] | no | no | yes (3 days) |
| Daeboreum | 정월 대보름 | jeong-wol daeboreum | 15th day of 1st lunar month | Daeboreum is a Korean holiday that celebrates the first full moon of the new year of the lunar Korean calendar which is the Korean version of the First Full Moon Festival. This holiday is accompanied by many traditions. | no | no | no |
| Independence Movement Day | 3ㆍ1절 | Samiljeol | March 1 | This day commemorates the March 1st Movement in 1919. On March 1 of this year, 33 Korean nationalists and students declared their nation's independence in Seoul. It started a nationwide civil protest and was a catalyst for the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (April 13, 1919). | yes | yes | yes |
| Children's Day | 어린이날 | Eorininal | May 5 | The day on which to esteem the personalities of children and plan for their happiness. In Korea, Children's Day started on May 1, 1922, when 8 people including Bang Jeong-hwan (방정환) declared the Day and held an anniversary. In 1946, the Day changed to May 5, and became a public holiday in 1975. | no | no | yes |
| Buddha's Birthday | 부처님 오신 날 | Bucheonnim Osinnal | 8th day of 4th lunar month | Formerly called Seokgatansinil (Korean: 석가탄신일; Hanja: 釋迦誕辰日); also referred to as Sawol Chopail (Korean: 사월 초파일; Hanja: 四月初八日). The birthday of Gautama Buddha.[2] | no | no | yes |
| Memorial Day | 현충일 | Hyeonchung-il | June 6 | The day commemorates the men and women who died while in military service or in the independence movement. On this day, a national commemoration ceremony is held at the Seoul National Cemetery and Daejeon National Cemetery. | no | half mast | yes |
| Constitution Day | 제헌절 | Jeheonjeol | July 17 | The day celebrates the promulgation of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea in 1948. | yes | yes | no (since 2008) |
| Liberation Day | 광복절 | Gwangbokjeol | August 15 | The day celebrates the national liberation from the Empire of Japan in 1945. On the same day in 1948, the government of the Republic of Korea was established. The word Gwangbok (Korean: 광복) means "restoration of light". | yes | yes | yes |
| Chuseok | 추석 | Chuseok | 15th day of 8th lunar month | Also called Han-gawi (Korean: 한가위). Korean traditional harvest and Mid-Autumn Festival. With Korean New Year, it is one of the most important Korean traditional holidays. As a celebration of the good harvest, Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and feast on traditional food.[3] | no | no | yes (3 days) |
| National Foundation Day | 개천절 | Gaecheonjeol | October 3 | The day celebrates the foundation of Gojoseon, the first state of the Korean nation. According to the Samguk Yusa, Dangun founded Gojoseon on the 3rd day of 10th lunar month, 2333 BC. Today, South Koreans celebrate their national foundation on October 3 according to the Gregorian calendar, for convenience sake. Gaecheonjeol means "Heaven-opened Day". | yes | yes | yes |
| Hangul Day | 한글날 | Hangeulnal | October 9 | The day commemorates the invention (1443) and the proclamation (1446) of hangul, the native alphabet of the Korean language. King Sejong the Great, inventor of hangul, is one of the most honored rulers in Korean history. | yes | yes | yes |
| Christmas | 크리스마스/성탄절[4][5] | Christmas/Seongtanjeol | December 25 | Commonly called Seongtanjeol (Korean: 성탄절; Hanja: 聖誕節), especially among Korean Christians. | no | no | yes |
| Election days for elections on the termination of terms of office referred to in Article 34 of the Public Official Election Act | 「공직선거법」 제34조에 따른 임기만료에 의한 선거의 선거일[4][5] | Gongjikseongeobeop jesamsipsajoe ttareun imgimanryoe uihan seongeoeui seongeoil | Not fixed. but always Wednesday.[6] | See Elections in South Korea. It is commonly called Seongeoil (Korean: 선거일) or Seongeonal (Korean: 선거날) (Election Day), in short. The date of this holiday is limited to regular presidential election day, legislative election day, and local election day (excluding Early voting day, by-election day, referendum day or unscheduled election day caused by like impeachment).[7][8] | no | no | yes |
These days celebrate events considered joyous to Korea. In the beginning, Independence Declaration Day (March 1) was first stipulated in 1946.[9] After the establishment of the Government of the Republic of Korea in 1948, four major National Celebration Days (Independence Declaration Day, Constitution Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day) were provided by "The Law Concerning the National Celebration Days" (국경일에관한법률)[10] in 1949. In 2005, Hangul Day became the 5th National Celebration day.
All the National Celebration Days, Memorial Day (half staff), Armed Forces Day are provided by Article 8 of the "National Flag Law" (대한민국국기법 제8조).[11] On these days, the raising of the taegukgi at every house and along every roadside is promoted.
They are provided by the "Regulations on Holidays of Public Agencies" (관공서의 공휴일에 관한 규정)[4][5] This Regulation originally applied only to government and public offices, but most individual business offices also follow it.
| Year | Lunar New Year's Day | Buddha's Birthday | Chuseok |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | February 10 (Thu) | May 18 (Wed) | September 20 (Tue) |
| 1995 | January 31 (Tue) | May 7 (Sun) | September 9 (Sat) |
| 1996 | February 19 (Mon) | May 24 (Fri) | September 27 (Fri) |
| 1997 | February 8 (Sat) | May 14 (Wed) | September 16 (Tue) |
| 1998 | January 28 (Wed) | May 3 (Sun) | October 5 (Mon) |
| 1999 | February 16 (Tue) | May 22 (Sat) | September 24 (Fri) |
| 2000 | February 5 (Sat) | May 11 (Thu) | September 12 (Tue) |
| 2001 | January 24 (Wed) | May 1 (Tue) | October 1 (Mon) |
| 2002 | February 12 (Tue) | May 19 (Sun) | September 21 (Sat) |
| 2003 | February 1 (Sat) | May 8 (Thu) | September 11 (Thu) |
| 2004 | January 22 (Thu) | May 26 (Wed) | September 28 (Tue) |
| 2005 | February 9 (Wed) | May 15 (Sun) | September 18 (Sun) |
| 2006 | January 29 (Sun) | May 5 (Fri) | October 6 (Fri) |
| 2007 | February 18 (Sun) | May 24 (Thu) | September 25 (Tue) |
| 2008 | February 7 (Thu) | May 12 (Mon) | September 14 (Sun) |
| 2009 | January 26 (Mon) | May 2 (Sat) | October 3 (Sat) |
| 2010 | February 14 (Sun) | May 21 (Fri) | September 22 (Wed) |
| 2011 | February 3 (Thu) | May 10 (Tue) | September 12 (Mon) |
| 2012 | January 23 (Mon) | May 28 (Mon) | September 30 (Sun) |
| 2013 | February 10 (Sun) | May 17 (Fri) | September 19 (Thu) |
| 2014 | January 31 (Fri) | May 6 (Tue) | September 8 (Mon) |
| 2015 | February 19 (Thu) | May 25 (Mon) | September 27 (Sun) |
| 2016 | February 8 (Mon) | May 14 (Sat) | September 15 (Thu) |
| 2017 | January 28 (Sat) | May 3 (Wed) | October 4 (Wed) |
| 2018 | February 16 (Fri) | May 22 (Tue) | September 24 (Mon) |
| 2019 | February 5 (Tue) | May 12 (Sun) | September 13 (Fri) |
| 2020 | January 25 (Sat) | April 30 (Thu) | October 1 (Thu) |
| 2021 | February 12 (Fri) | May 19 (Wed) | September 21 (Tue) |
| 2022 | February 1 (Tue) | May 8 (Sun) | September 10 (Sat) |
| 2023 | January 22 (Sun) | May 27 (Sat) | September 29 (Fri) |
| 2024 | February 10 (Sat) | May 15 (Wed) | September 17 (Tue) |
| 2025 | January 29 (Wed) | May 5 (Mon) | October 6 (Mon) |
| 2026 | February 17 (Tue) | May 24 (Sun) | September 25 (Fri) |
| 2027 | February 7 (Sun) | May 13 (Thu) | September 15 (Wed) |
| 2028 | January 27 (Thu) | May 2 (Tue) | October 3 (Tue) |
| 2029 | February 13 (Tue) | May 20 (Sun) | September 22 (Sat) |
| 2030 | February 3 (Sun) | May 9 (Thu) | September 12 (Thu) |
| 2031 | January 23 (Thu) | May 28 (Wed) | October 1 (Wed) |
| 2032 | February 11 (Wed) | May 16 (Sun) | September 19 (Sun) |
| 2033 | January 31 (Mon) | May 6 (Fri) | September 8 (Thu) |
| 2034 | February 19 (Sun) | May 25 (Thu) | September 27 (Wed) |
| 2035 | February 8 (Thu) | May 15 (Tue) | September 16 (Sun) |
| 2036 | January 28 (Mon) | May 3 (Sat) | October 4 (Sat) |
| 2037 | February 15 (Sun) | May 22 (Fri) | September 24 (Thu) |
| 2038 | February 4 (Thu) | May 11 (Tue) | September 13 (Mon) |
| 2039 | January 24 (Mon) | April 30 (Sat) | October 2 (Sun) |
| 2040 | February 12 (Sun) | May 18 (Fri) | September 21 (Fri) |
| 2041 | February 1 (Fri) | May 7 (Tue) | September 10 (Tue) |
| 2042 | January 22 (Wed) | May 26 (Mon) | September 28 (Sun) |
| 2043 | February 10 (Tue) | May 16 (Sat) | September 17 (Thu) |
| 2044 | January 30 (Sat) | May 5 (Thu) | October 5 (Wed) |
| 2045 | February 17 (Fri) | May 24 (Wed) | September 25 (Mon) |
| 2046 | February 6 (Tue) | May 13 (Sun) | September 15 (Sat) |
| 2047 | January 26 (Sat) | May 2 (Thu) | October 4 (Fri) |
| 2048 | February 14 (Fri) | May 20 (Wed) | September 22 (Tue) |
| 2049 | February 2 (Tue) | May 9 (Sun) | September 11 (Sat) |
| 2050 | January 23 (Sun) | May 28 (Sat) | September 30 (Fri) |
