In Korea, if employees are required to work on a statutory public holiday, holiday work allowances must be paid. Therefore, it is essential for HR professionals and employers to be aware of the public holiday schedule in advance to plan work schedules, payroll, and leave management accordingly.

 

Below is the list of official public holidays in Korea for 2025.
Please note that the government may designate additional temporary holidays during the year.

The holidays listed below apply to workplaces with five or more regular employees.
(For workplaces with fewer than five employees, paid holiday obligations do not apply under current law.)

Date	Day	Holiday
01-Jan	Wednesday	The first day of January
27-Jan	Monday	Designated Temporary Holiday
28-Jan	Tuesday	The day preceding Seollal (Korean New Year's Day)
29-Jan	Wednesday	Seollal (Korean New Year's Day)
30-Jan	Thursday	The day following Seollal (Korean New Year's Day)
01-Mar	Saturday	The March 1 Independence Movement Day
03-Mar	Monday	Substitution Holiday for "the March 1 Independence Movement Day"
05-May	Monday	Children's Day & Buddah's Birthday
06-May	Tuesday	Substitution Holiday for "Buddha's Birthday"
06-Jun	Friday	Memorial Day
15-Aug	Friday	Independence Day
03-Oct	Friday	National Foundation Day of Korea
05-Oct	Sunday	The day preceeding Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)
06-Oct	Monday	Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)
07-Oct	Tuesday	The day following Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)
08-Oct	Wednesday	Substitution Holiday for "the day preceeding Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)"
09-Oct	Thursday	Hangul Day
25-Dec	Thursday	Christmas Day

 

 

In addition, please note:

• Labor Day (May 1) and
• Weekly holidays (typically Sundays)

are considered paid holidays regardless of the number of employees, including in workplaces with fewer than five employees.

 

Make sure to reflect these holidays in your annual HR plans, and stay alert for any government announcements regarding additional holidays.

 

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