As the new year 2026 begins, interest in this year's golden holidays is also rising.
As of the 2nd, the earliest holiday is the Lunar New Year break. This year's Lunar New Year holiday runs from Monday, Feb. 16 to Wednesday, Feb. 18, and including the weekend before, you can take a total of five days off. If you use annual leave on the 19th to 20th, you can rest for a total of nine days from the 14th to the 22nd.
The next holiday is Independence Movement Day. This year, Independence Movement Day falls on a Sunday, and March 2 is expected to be designated as a substitute holiday.
In May, there is Children's Day. This year, May 5 falls on a Tuesday, and if you take annual leave on the 4th, the day before, you can rest for four days including the weekend. Buddha's Birthday on May 24 falls on a Sunday, and the following day, the 25th, is expected to be designated as a substitute holiday. Also, on June 3, there will be the 9th local elections.
In August, there is Liberation Day. This year, Liberation Day falls on Saturday, Aug. 15, and the 17th is likely to be designated as a substitute holiday.
The Chuseok holiday runs from Thursday, Sept. 24 to Sunday, Sept. 27. In October, there are National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day, and since this year's National Foundation Day falls on a Saturday, the 5th is expected to be designated as a substitute holiday.
April, July and November have no public holidays. In addition, the reassignment of Constitution Day on July 17 as a statutory holiday and whether Dec. 3 will be designated as People's Day of popular sovereignty have not been decided.