# Korea's National Holidays: The Five Celebration Days and What Closes

- Published: Jul 15, 2026
- Source (HTML): https://foreignerguide.com/articles/korea-s-national-holidays-the-five-celebration-days-and-what-closes.html
- Published by: [Foreigner Guide](https://foreignerguide.com/)

![Korea's National Holidays: The Five Celebration Days and What Closes](https://foreignerguide.com/assets/articles/korea-s-national-holidays-the-five-celebration-days-and-what-closes/hero-1.jpg)

> South Korea's five national celebration days, from Independence Movement Day to Hangul Day: which are paid days off in 2026, and how they shape travel.

South Korea marks five national celebration days: Independence Movement Day (March 1), Constitution Day (July 17), Liberation Day (August 15), National Foundation Day (October 3), and Hangul Day (October 9). They honor moments in the country's history, and each falls on the same calendar date every year. Here is the catch that surprises newcomers: a "national" day is not automatically a paid day off. As of July 2026, all five are days off again, because Constitution Day was restored this year - The Korea Herald reported that the National Assembly revised the Public Holidays Act to bring it back. This guide covers those five celebration days and how they shape travel and daily life for visitors and residents. It is general information, not a full calendar of every public holiday, so Lunar New Year and Chuseok come up only in passing.

## The five national celebration days

The five days come from the Act on National Celebration Days, first passed in 1949. Four were named at the start, and Hangul Day joined the group in 2005. What links them is history rather than season or religion: independence, liberation, the constitution, the nation's mythical founding, and the Korean alphabet. That sets them apart from Lunar New Year (Seollal) and Chuseok, the autumn harvest holiday, which move around the calendar because they follow the lunar cycle.

| Day | Date | What it marks | Paid day off in 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Independence Movement Day | March 1 | The 1919 protests against colonial rule | Yes (observed Monday, March 2) |
| Constitution Day | July 17 | The 1948 constitution taking effect | Yes (restored this year) |
| Liberation Day | August 15 | The 1945 end of Japanese rule | Yes (observed Monday, August 17) |
| National Foundation Day | October 3 | The legendary founding of the first Korean kingdom | Yes (observed Monday, October 5) |
| Hangul Day | October 9 | The creation of the Korean alphabet | Yes |

Because these dates are fixed, you can plan around them years ahead. On Independence Movement Day and Liberation Day you will see the national flag hung along streets and outside homes, and both days carry official ceremonies.

## National celebration day or a day off? Why the difference matters

A national celebration day is not the same thing as a paid day off. One law names the day as historically important; a separate set of public-holiday rules decides whether offices, banks, and schools close. Most of the time the two overlap, so the distinction stays invisible. Constitution Day was the exception that made it obvious.

From 2008, Constitution Day kept its status as a national celebration day but lost its day-off status, so people still marked July 17 while heading to work as normal. For a traveler, the lesson holds beyond this one date: a calendar app that flags a "national holiday" does not guarantee that shops and public offices will be shut. When a closure matters to your plans, check whether the day is an actual public holiday, not only a commemorative one.

## What changed in 2026: Constitution Day is a day off again

Constitution Day (July 17) is a paid public holiday again for the first time since 2008. The Korea Herald and The Korea Times reported that the National Assembly passed a revision to the Public Holidays Act in late January 2026 and the Cabinet approved it, with the change taking effect on May 11, 2026. In 2026, July 17 lands on a Friday, so most workers get a three-day weekend.

It had been dropped in 2008 to reduce the number of paid days off for employers. With it back, all five national celebration days are once again days off. If you are planning a July trip, treat that Friday as a national holiday: expect banks and government offices closed and popular sites busier than a normal weekday.

## How do substitute holidays work?

When an eligible holiday falls on a weekend, the next open weekday becomes a day off in its place, so the holiday is not lost. Korea calls this the substitute holiday rule. It covers the bigger holidays - Independence Movement Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, Hangul Day, Children's Day, Buddha's Birthday, Christmas, and the Lunar New Year and Chuseok periods - but not New Year's Day or Memorial Day.

In 2026 this produces four extra Mondays off: March 2, May 25, August 17, and October 5. March 2 covers Independence Movement Day, which falls on a Sunday; August 17 covers Liberation Day, a Saturday; October 5 covers National Foundation Day, a Saturday; and May 25 covers Buddha's Birthday, a Sunday and a public holiday rather than a national celebration day. Hangul Day and the restored Constitution Day both land on Fridays this year, so they need no substitute.

## Planning travel around Korean holidays

The two holidays that reshape travel most are not on the national-celebration list at all. Seollal and Chuseok empty the cities as families head to their hometowns, and trains, buses, and flights fill up weeks ahead. If a trip crosses either period, book long-distance seats as early as you can, the same care you would give any [rail journey with limited reserved seating](https://foreignerguide.com/articles/rail-travel-basics-passes-tickets-and-seat-reservations.html). Many small shops and family-run restaurants close for a few days, though major department stores, convenience stores, and tourist areas mostly stay open.

The national celebration days are calmer by comparison. Banks, post offices, and government offices close, and many company offices do too, but shops, museums, and transport run close to a normal weekend. Some royal palaces and public museums in Seoul waive admission on these days, so they are worth a look if your schedule lines up. The Korea Tourism Organization keeps a current holiday and opening-hours calendar on its official site, [VisitKorea](https://english.visitkorea.or.kr), which is the safest place to confirm dates before you commit to a booking.

For anyone settling in for the longer term, the holiday rhythm is part of learning the country. Knowing when the city goes quiet, when your bank is shut, and which days bring flags and ceremonies is a small but real part of [finding your feet in a new country](https://foreignerguide.com/articles/culture-shock-tips-for-adjusting-to-life-abroad.html). Once the pattern clicks, these days turn from logistical puzzles into some of the easiest long weekends on the calendar.

## Related articles

- [National Day of Spain: October 12, the Parade, and What Closes](https://foreignerguide.com/articles/national-day-of-spain-october-12-the-parade-and-what-closes.md)
- [What Is a Digital Nomad? The Lifestyle, the Rules, and What It Takes](https://foreignerguide.com/articles/what-is-a-digital-nomad-the-lifestyle-the-rules-and-what-it-takes.md)
- [Nyepi Day in Bali: Silence Rules, the Airport Shutdown, and How to Plan](https://foreignerguide.com/articles/nyepi-day-in-bali-silence-rules-the-airport-shutdown-and-how-to-plan.md)
- [Butsukari Otoko: What Japan's Shoulder-Bumping Is and How to Stay Safe](https://foreignerguide.com/articles/butsukari-otoko-what-japan-s-shoulder-bumping-is-and-how-to-stay-safe.md)
- [How to Visit the Ssese Islands, Uganda: Ferries, Costs, and Safety](https://foreignerguide.com/articles/how-to-visit-the-ssese-islands-uganda-ferries-costs-and-safety.md)