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Korea's '10-day vacation' is nearly over. When will the next 'golden' holiday arrive?

Published: 10 Oct. 2025, 09:03 Updated: 10 Oct. 2025, 17:01

The arrival gate of Incheon International Airport is seen crowded with travelers on the last official day of the Chuseok holidays on Oct. 9. [NEWS1]

With Korea’s 10-day Chuseok holiday coming to an end, many may wonder when the next long break could arrive. Unfortunately, another “golden week” like this one won't arrive until 2028.

However, there are a few other holidays coming up.

Christmas, on Dec. 25, falls on a Thursday this year. Taking the Friday off as annual leave would allow for a four-day break. New Year’s Day on Jan. 1, 2026, also falls on a Thursday, so those looking to take an extended year-end holiday can use leave days to enjoy five consecutive days off from Dec. 31 to Jan. 4.

Next year’s Lunar New Year holiday will span five days, including the weekend.

May will be one of the more holiday-rich months in 2026. Labor Day on May 1 falls on a Friday, while Children’s Day on May 5 lands on a Tuesday. Taking Monday, May 4, off would give workers up to five consecutive days of rest.

Although Buddha’s Birthday on May 24 falls on a weekend, a substitute holiday will be observed on Monday, May 25, allowing for a three-day weekend.

A Chuseok break as long as this year’s — a full 10 days — is not expected to occur again until 2028. The holiday will span six days from Sept. 30, a Saturday, and end on Oct. 6, but taking Oct. 6 off would allow for 10 days off.

In 2044, taking a single day off on Oct. 7 would allow for a maximum of nine days of vacation.

This year’s extended break came about due to a perfect alignment of holidays. National Foundation Day on Oct. 3 fell on a Friday, while Chuseok began on a Sunday, resulting in an extra substitute holiday. Taking annual leave on Friday would have allowed for a full 10 days off, ending on Sunday.

Correction, Oct. 10: Original article stated another long vacation like this year's wouldn't take place until 2044. This has since been corrected.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]