Korean government offices have 24 public holidays in 2027. That is 17 statutory holidays plus 7 substitute holidays, and because many of them land on a Saturday, far fewer than 24 actually fall on a weekday. This post lists the breaks of 3 or more days and the combinations that use only 1-2 leave days to rest longer, all calculated from the Hyuilmoa holiday calendar data.
The formula: how breaks are counted
Weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and public holidays all count as days off. A break is an unbroken run of days off, and a run of 3 or more days is a long break. Leave days are only used to fill the 1-2 weekdays sitting between two breaks.
- Break length = the number of consecutive days made up of holidays and weekends
- Leave efficiency = (days off in a row after adding leave) ÷ (leave days used)
The higher the efficiency, the longer one leave day lets you rest. One leave day for 6 days off is an efficiency of 6.0; two leave days for 5 days off is 2.5.
The 10 breaks of 3+ days in 2027
| Period | Days | Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 (Fri) - Jan 3 (Sun) | 3 | New Year’s Day |
| Feb 6 (Sat) - Feb 9 (Tue) | 4 | Seollal Holiday, Seollal, Substitute Holiday (Seollal) |
| Feb 27 (Sat) - Mar 1 (Mon) | 3 | Independence Movement Day |
| May 1 (Sat) - May 3 (Mon) | 3 | Labor Day, Substitute Holiday (Labor Day) |
| Jul 17 (Sat) - Jul 19 (Mon) | 3 | Constitution Day, Substitute Holiday (Constitution Day) |
| Aug 14 (Sat) - Aug 16 (Mon) | 3 | Liberation Day, Substitute Holiday (Liberation Day) |
| Sep 14 (Tue) - Sep 16 (Thu) | 3 | Chuseok Holiday, Chuseok |
| Oct 2 (Sat) - Oct 4 (Mon) | 3 | National Foundation Day, Substitute Holiday (National Foundation Day) |
| Oct 9 (Sat) - Oct 11 (Mon) | 3 | Hangeul Day, Substitute Holiday (Hangeul Day) |
| Dec 25 (Sat) - Dec 27 (Mon) | 3 | Christmas Day, Substitute Holiday (Christmas Day) |
The longest break is Seollal at 4 days. Seollal 2027 falls on a Sunday (Feb 7), so a substitute holiday extends the break to Tuesday, Feb 9. Chuseok, on the other hand, is three weekdays (Tuesday to Thursday) that do not connect to a weekend, which is exactly why adding leave around it pays off the most.
Examples: where leave stretches your break the most
These are the top combinations by efficiency in the calculation.
- 1 leave day on Sep 13 (Mon): 6 days off from Sep 11 (Sat) to Sep 16 (Thu), efficiency 6.0
- 1 leave day on Sep 17 (Fri): 6 days off from Sep 14 (Tue) to Sep 19 (Sun), efficiency 6.0
- 1 leave day on May 4 (Tue): 5 days off from May 1 (Sat) to May 5 (Wed), efficiency 5.0
- 1 leave day on May 14 (Fri): 4 days off from Buddha’s Birthday (May 13, Thu) to May 16 (Sun), efficiency 4.0
- 2 leave days on May 6 (Thu) and 7 (Fri): 5 days off from May 5 (Wed) to May 9 (Sun), efficiency 2.5
If you take leave on both sides of Chuseok, you can rest 9 days in a row from Sep 11 (Sat) to Sep 19 (Sun). That is 9 days for 2 leave days, an efficiency of 4.5. In May, the key is the single day on May 4 (Tue), sandwiched between the Labor Day substitute holiday (May 3) and Children’s Day (May 5, Wed).
The bars below compare the leave efficiency of the ranking above.
Things to watch
- This calendar does not include 2027 election days or temporary holidays. If the government designates new ones, the break calculation changes, so until they are confirmed it is safer to book flights and lodging on refundable terms.
- The holiday basis is government offices. Private companies may require work on substitute holidays under their work rules, so check your company’s policy first.
- Leave around Chuseok and Seollal gets requested heavily. Check your team’s schedule and leave rules, and apply early.
You can calculate the combination that fits your own leave balance in the leave planner, and see the full-year calendar on the 2027 holidays page.