Holiday planning
Long Weekends in South Korea 2026
South Korea has 11 long weekends in 2026. The longest natural break is 5 days around Seollal Holiday & Seollal (Sat 14 Feb – Wed 18 Feb). Take Thursday and Friday off and turn the Seollal Holiday & Seollal break into a 9-day run.
11
Long weekends
9
Longest break (days)
11
Bridge day opportunities
Official reference: Korean Law Information Center — Public holidays regulation · How we verify this data
All long weekends in South Korea 2026
Sorted by calendar date. "Days off" = the natural break without any annual leave. "Bridge days" = working days to take as paid leave to extend the break.
| Date range | Holiday | Days off | Bridge days to take | Total break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan | New Year's Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 2 Jan) | 4d |
| Sat 14 Feb – Sun 22 Feb | Seollal Holiday, Seollal | 5 | Thursday + Friday(Thu 19 Feb, Fri 20 Feb) | 9d |
| Fri 27 Feb – Mon 2 Mar | Independence Movement Day, Day off for Independence Movement Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 27 Feb) | 4d |
| Sat 2 May – Tue 5 May | Children's Day | 1 | Monday(Mon 4 May) | 4d |
| Fri 22 May – Mon 25 May | Buddha's Birthday, Day off for Buddha's Birthday | 3 | Friday(Fri 22 May) | 4d |
| Sat 30 May – Wed 3 Jun | Local Election Day | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 1 Jun, Tue 2 Jun) | 5d |
| Fri 14 Aug – Mon 17 Aug | Liberation Day, Day off for Liberation Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 14 Aug) | 4d |
| Wed 23 Sept – Sun 27 Sept | Chuseok | 4 | Wednesday(Wed 23 Sept) | 5d |
| Fri 2 Oct – Mon 5 Oct | National Foundation Day, Day off for National Foundation Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 2 Oct) | 4d |
| Thu 8 Oct – Sun 11 Oct | Hangul Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 8 Oct) | 4d |
| Thu 24 Dec – Sun 27 Dec | Christmas Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 24 Dec) | 4d |
Best long weekends in South Korea 2026
The top breaks ranked by total consecutive days off.
February
Seollal Holiday & Seollal
Sat 14 Feb – Sun 22 Feb
9
days
June
Local Election Day
Sat 30 May – Wed 3 Jun
5
days
September
Chuseok
Wed 23 Sept – Sun 27 Sept
5
days
January
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan
4
days
How to use bridge days in South Korea
A bridge day (sometimes called a sandwiched day) is a working day that sits between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking it as paid annual leave, you connect the holiday to the weekend and create a longer uninterrupted break.
For example, if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, taking Friday off gives you Thursday + Friday + Saturday + Sunday — four consecutive days using only one day of leave.
In South Korea 2026, there are 11 bridge day opportunities highlighted in the table above. The biggest gain is around Seollal Holiday & Seollal: take Thursday and Friday off to turn a 5-day break into 9 consecutive days using only 2 days of annual leave.
Public holidays linked to long weekends
Seollal Holiday
Mon 16 Feb
Seollal
Tue 17 Feb
Local Election Day
Wed 3 Jun
Chuseok
Thu 24 Sept
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan
Independence Movement Day
Sun 1 Mar
Day off for Independence Movement Day
Mon 2 Mar
Children's Day
Tue 5 May
Buddha's Birthday
Sun 24 May
Day off for Buddha's Birthday
Mon 25 May
Liberation Day
Sat 15 Aug
Day off for Liberation Day
Mon 17 Aug
National Foundation Day
Sat 3 Oct
Day off for National Foundation Day
Mon 5 Oct
Hangul Day
Fri 9 Oct
Christmas Day
Fri 25 Dec
Continue exploring
More for South Korea 2026
Public holidays
Public holidays in South Korea 2026
Full list of 24 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in South Korea 2026
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in South Korea 2027
Same bridge day analysis for 2027.
Region guide
Public holidays across Asia Pacific
Compare holiday calendars for neighbouring countries in the region.
Calculator
Working Days Between Two Dates
Net working days for any date range — public holidays excluded, 192 countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does South Korea have in 2026?
South Korea has 11 long weekends in 2026 where a public holiday creates a break of three or more consecutive days.
What is a bridge day?
A bridge day is a regular working day that falls between a public holiday and a weekend. Taking it as annual leave creates an uninterrupted break of four or more days using just one or two days of paid leave — maximising your time off.
What is the longest long weekend in South Korea in 2026?
The longest break is 9 days from Saturday, 14 February 2026 to Sunday, 22 February 2026, centred around Seollal Holiday and Seollal (taking Thursday and Friday as annual leave).
How can I get the most days off with the least leave in South Korea 2026?
The best bridge day opportunity is around Seollal Holiday & Seollal (Sat 14 Feb – Wed 18 Feb). Take Thursday and Friday as annual leave to get a 9-day break using only 2 days of paid leave.
Are bridge days public holidays in South Korea?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.