Distinguish the date from the holiday break
Korea uses the Gregorian calendar for ordinary official dates. Several traditional celebrations follow a lunisolar calendar, which uses lunar months while adding leap months to keep the year aligned with the seasons.
That is why the Gregorian dates of Seollal, Korean Lunar New Year, and Chuseok, the autumn harvest holiday, change each year. Look up the exact year rather than assuming the holiday falls in the same week as last year.
The central celebration and the surrounding public-holiday break are different. These dates identify the celebration itself:
| Celebration | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Seollal, on the first day of the first lunar month | 17 February | 7 February |
| Chuseok, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month | 25 September | 15 September |
The Korea AeroSpace Administration's official calendar announcements provide the 2026 dates and 2027 dates. Check the complete break, including any substitute holiday, when booking travel.
Why lunar holidays move
Twelve lunar months are shorter than a solar year. Without an adjustment, lunar dates would move steadily through the seasons. The lunisolar system inserts leap months to maintain seasonal alignment.
The resulting Gregorian date often moves earlier from one year to the next, then later after a leap-month adjustment. Do not calculate a future holiday simply by subtracting eleven days from this year's date.
Buddha's Birthday also follows a lunar date. For it and other celebrations, use the official annual calendar rather than a general seasonal estimate.
Understand the 24 solar terms
The 24 solar terms divide the Sun's annual path into seasonal markers. They fall near the same Gregorian dates each year, with small variations.
For example, 입춘 marks the traditional start of spring around early February, 처서 marks the traditional end of heat around late August, and 입동 marks the traditional start of winter around early November.
These names express a seasonal tradition. They do not guarantee that cold weather ends, a heatwave breaks or winter conditions begin on that date. Use the weather forecast for your actual plans.
If someone uses a lunar birthday
Some families celebrate a birthday by its lunar date, which corresponds to a different Gregorian date each year. If someone gives you such a date, ask which calendar and year they mean.
음력이에요? means “Is that a lunar date?” The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute provides calendar information and conversion tools.
A family celebration date does not change the date of birth recorded on an identity document.
Age is a separate question
International age counts completed years since birth and is Korea's general legal and administrative default. Some laws use specific calendar-year or birth-year eligibility rules, so check the relevant rule when an age limit matters.
Traditional Korean age may still appear in conversation. Giving your birth year can avoid confusion, but official forms should be completed according to their instructions.
Plan around the full holiday period
Long-distance transport can be busy around Seollal and Chuseok, and individual businesses may close for part of the break. Reserve important journeys when sales open and confirm opening hours with each venue.
Do not assume everything closes or everything remains open. Public attractions may run holiday programmes while a nearby family-run restaurant takes time off.
