Korean Holidays: Days Off and Unofficial Days To Remember

South Korea has a mix of traditional and modern holidays, with various celebrations that take place across the country. From national holidays, or red days, where workers get the day off like the Korean New Year, to the unofficial but fun holidays like Pepero Day, get ready to celebrate with Korea.

Make sure you know about these South Korean holidays so you can plan your trip or if you’re a resident, year, accordingly. Some holidays see just about everything shut down at least for a few hours, while some holidays in Korea are still work days. Make sure you know which is which and what to do when.

Holidays in Korea, national holidays in South Korea

Get ready to learn about Korean holidays:

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What to know about holidays in Korea

It’s important to note that many of the holidays in South Korea are based on the Lunar Calendar, which is as the name suggests, a calendar system based on the cycles of the moon’s phases. It differs from the Gregorian calendar, which is the solar calendar, in that it tracks time based on the moon’s orbit around the Earth. The Lunar Calendar has been used in various Asian countries for centuries, including South Korea.

In the Lunar Calendar, a month is defined as one complete cycle of the moon, from one new moon to the next. It’s roughly 29.5 days long, so lunar months are shorter than the months in the Gregorian calendar. Many South Korean holidays, like Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year) and Buddha’s Birthday, are based on the Lunar Calendar. Seollal, for example, is held on the full moon so the day of celebrations, stay up late into the night to see the full moon in all her glory.

Since lunar months don’t align with the months in the Gregorian calendar, the dates of these holidays vary from year to year. They can fall anywhere from late January to mid-February for Seollal and from late April to early June for Buddha’s Birthday.

South Korean National Holidays

These are the days that you can consider Red Days, or days off from work in South Korea. Schools and public offices will be closed, but generally you will find that small mom and pop shops and restaurants will still be open.

New Year’s Day (Sinjeong | 신정) – January 1

The first day of the new calendar year is a day off and traditionally celebrated by waking up to see the first sunrise of the year. While there are people that celebrate New Year’s Eve like in western countries, in Korea many people will hike to mountaintops or head to the east coast to catch sight of the first sunrise of the new year rather than ringing in the new year at midnight.

Korean Lunar New Year (Seollal | 설날) – Date varies (typically in January or February)

Seollal is a three day holiday that marks the first day of the lunar calendar and this new year’s holiday is considered more important than the Gregorian New Year’s Day. It’s a time for families to gather, pay respects to ancestors, and share traditional food. Many families perform ancestral rites called Jesa.

Independence Movement Day (Samiljeol | 3ㆍ1절) – March 1

Samiljeol marks the March 1st Movement in 1919 when Koreans peacefully protested against Japanese colonial rule. The act set off nationwide civil protests. It’s a day of remembrance for Korean independence activists.

Buddha’s Birthday (Bucheo-nim O-shin-nal | 부처님 오신 날) – Date varies (usually in April or May)

This day, formerly called Seokgatansinil (석가탄신일) and still refered to that way by many, celebrates the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. Temples are decorated with colorful lanterns, and the massive Lotus Lantern Parade with more than 100,000 lanterns in various shapes and sizes is hosted in downtown Seoul.

Children’s Day (Eorininal | 어린이날) – May 5

Children’s Day is an opportunity for families to spend quality time together. Parents, schools, and communities throughout the country come together to honor their little ones and make them feel special on Children’s Day. The most popular ways to celebrate involve being outside which may also be because the weather is finally warming up and the flowers are blooming.

Though not days off, there are a couple related celebration days. May is considered “Family Month” in Korea because there is also Parents Day (어버이날) on May 8. Children will usually come home with carnations from school for their parents. And there is Teacher’s Day (스승의날) on May 15, King Sejong’s birthday. Teacher’s may receive gifts from their students on this day, though gifts should be kept under W30,000 in cost so as not to be considered bribery.

Memorial Day (Hyeonchung-il | 현충일) – June 6

Memorial Day is dedicated to honoring the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the country, particularly during times of war. There are usually commemoration ceremonies held at the Seoul National Cemetery and the Daejeon National Cemetery.

Liberation Day (Gwangbokjeol | 광복절) – August 15

Liberation Day, or directly translated means “Restoration of Light Day”, marks the end of Japanese colonial rule in Korea which was from 1910 until 1945. It celebrates Korea’s independence and freedom.

Korean Thanksgiving Day (Chuseok | 추석) – Date varies (usually in September or October)

Chuseok is a major harvest festival, akin to Thanksgiving in other countries. Families come together to give thanks, share food, and honor ancestors by holding a Jesa ceremony similar to Seollal.

National Foundation Day (Gaecheonjeol | 개천절) – October 3

National Foundation Day was established as a national holiday in 1909 and celebrates the legendary foundation of Korea by Dangun, a semi-divine figure in Korean mythology. There are often festivals, parades, and various events that are held across the country to celebrate.

Hangeul Day (Hangulnal | 한글날) – October 9

Hangeul Day commemorates the creation of the Korean script which was created in the 15th century during the Joseon Dynasty. Hangeul was the brainchild of King Sejong the Great and his scholars, who aimed to make literacy more accessible to the commoners.

Christmas (크리스마스) (Seongtanjeol | 성탄절) – December 25

Christmas is a day off in South Korea, just one day which is notable to most foreigners, and celebrated as a religious and secular holiday, though it doesn’t quite have all of the pomp and decor that you’d find in Europe or the US.

Public Holidays But Still Working Days

Samguk Sagi Day – January 13

This holiday commemorates the publication of “Samguk Sagi,” a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. It celebrates Korean history and culture.

The Great Full Moon (Daeboreum | 대보름) – Date varies (typically in February)

A celebration of the first full moon of the new year on the lunar calendar, in the past farmers would burn dry grass that was between the rice fields to rid the area of insects and mice that could damage the crops. Today, there may be bonfires in regional areas or fire festivals like the Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival in Busan. People may also hike up to the top of a mountain to catch sight of the first full moon of the year.

Arbor Day (Sikmogil | 식목일) – April 5

Arbor Day encourages tree planting and environmental conservation. It’s a day to raise awareness about the importance of trees. Though not a day off, if you have kids, they will likely have events at school to plant gardens or trees and may bring a plant home with them.

Constitution Day (Jeheonjeol | 제헌절) – July 17

Constitution Day commemorates the proclamation of the South Korean Constitution in 1948 and promotes democracy and constitutional government. It’s also interesting to note that the date of this holiday was specifically chosen to match the founding date of the Joseon Dynasty.

Other less common days off

Election Day (선거일)

While it doesn’t happen every year, when there is a Presidential election, which happens every five years, a National Assembly election, which happens every four years, or local election, which happens every two years, schools and businesses will close so that everyone has the opportunity to vote.

Substitute Holiday (대체 휴일)

If the national holidays fall on a weekend, there are substitute holidays to ensure that people actually get time off from work and take a rest. The substitute holiday will usually fall on the Monday after the weekend with the national holiday.

Unofficial Fun and Romantic Holidays

Whether you’re in an established relationship or single in Korea, a conversation topic which comes up fairly often for some reason, there are a variety of unofficial but fun holidays you should know about. Some of these are romantic couples holidays and some of these are days for the singles. Make sure you mark them down so you don’t miss them!

100 Days (100일)
- A common celebration day for young couples in love, in Korea couples celebrate their first 100 days together by exchanging gifts and couple rings may be swapped to make this relationship truly legit.
Pepero Day (빼빼로 데이) – November 11
- Wondering why November 11th? It’s because Pepero resemble a “1” and November 11th is 11/11. It’ll be easy to remember, won’t it? May be a great marketing scheme by the Pepero maker, or started in the 90s by students celebrating being single, Pepero Day is a fun holiday where you’ll see a lot of snacks swapped between friends and lovers.
Diary Day – January 14
- On Diary Day, couples swap cutesy yearly planners/diaries that they purchased at one of the numerous stationary stores around town. Inside, they’ve marked birthdays, anniversaries and other special days so that no one is caught forgetting their special days together.

Valentine’s Day – February 14
- Celebrated in many places around the world, in Korea, Valentine’s Day is a bit different because only women are expected to hand over gifts of chocolate to the men in their life. Trying to plan something special? Check out these 12 things to do on Valentine’s Day in Seoul.
White Day – March 14
- Now since Valentine’s Day was all about gifts to the guys, White Day is the opposite and now the girls get showered with candy, jewelry and flowers. The same idea as Valentine’s Day, but in Korea, this day is just for the girls.
Black Day – April 14
- Black Day is for the single people in Korea and it’s a popular day to eat black noodles, or jjajangmyeon. Friends get together to console each other or rejoice in their independence.

Yellow Day/Rose Day – May 14
- A holiday for everyone, couples dress up in their cutest matching yellow outfits and swap roses. The singles on the other hand, head to a nearby restaurant to eat yellow curry in hopes that they can “spice up” their life.
Kiss Day – June 14
- A popular day for the sales of breath mints, gum, and lipstick, companies really promote this holiday more than anyone else, but it’s a day to do exactly what you can guess from the name.
Silver Day – July 14
- Korean couples like to proclaim their love by wearing couple rings. If you didn’t already swap one with your lover on your 100 day, this is a great day to do that. Single people also jump on this one and treat themselves to something nice.

Green Day – August 14
- Not to be confused with Arbor Day or some other eco-friendly day, Green Day is a day to head out to have a picnic and green bottle soju has really jumped on this one promoting their “green” bottles that are just right for this occasion.
Photo Day – September 14
- Koreans love taking selfies already, but on this day especially, you’ll see more people heading to the nearby photo booths to take pictures together. Whether you’re in a happy couple or just with friends, photo booths are always a fun time.
Wine Day – October 14
- One for the age-appropriat couples, wine has been gaining in popularity over the past couple of decades and there’s a day to celebrate the delicious grape juice.
Movie Day – November 14
- If you want to see a movie on November 14, make sure you book ahead. The movie theaters will be full of couples on this day in November.
Hug Day – December 14
- Whether you’re just hugging your friends or standing outside with a “Free Hugs” sign to spread the love, December 14th is Hug Day in Korea.

If you’re living in Korea or just coming for a visit, make sure you know when the national holidays in Korea are so you know what to expect. Or, if you’re dating a Korean person, would be good to know the romantic holidays! Get ready to celebrate in Korea!

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