How many legal holidays are there in South Korea?

South Korea has 16 statutory holidays throughout the year, including the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, which are 3 days each.

In addition, Koreans’ paid annual leave is 15 to 25 days. Including weekends, Koreans can have 132 to 142 days of vacation throughout the year. Korean holidays are divided into three types: National Day, National Flag Day and Public Holidays. Trinity Day (March 1st), Constitution Day (July 17th), Liberation Day (August 15th), Seonjonje (October 3rd) and Hyeonmun Day (October 9th) are the of the five “National Days”.

Festivals in South Korea:

1. New Year's Day

Date: January 1, which is the New Year, and January 1 and 2 are public holidays. *holiday. In South Korea, it is customary to put up window grilles and peach charms on New Year's Day, and family members gather together for a delicious meal.

2. Spring Festival

Date: January 1 of the lunar calendar, which is one of the largest traditional festivals in Korea. The public holiday is from the first to the third day of the first lunar month. On this day, the whole family wears national costumes to hold a ceremony to worship their ancestors and reunite to celebrate.

3. Valentine's Day

Date: February 14, the traditional Western Valentine's Day holiday. In Korea, Valentine’s Day is actually held on the 14th of every month.

4. Independence Movement Memorial Day

Date: March 1, commemorating the March 1st Movement, a public holiday. At noon on March 1, 1919, the anti-Japanese movement broke out in South Korea. On this day, the South Korean government and civil society organizations will hold activities to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country.

5. Arbor Day

Date: April 15. People respond to the government’s call to plant trees and afforestation.