The 2027 Seollal holiday runs 4 days, from February 6 (Sat) to 9 (Tue), and the Chuseok holiday runs 3 days, from September 14 (Tue) to 16 (Thu). That is one day shorter each than the 5-day Seollal and 4-day Chuseok of 2026. In exchange, depending on how you add leave, you can rest up to 9 days in a row around either holiday, so where you place your leave matters more than the length of the holiday. The dates and day counts below are values I counted directly from the Hyuilmoa holiday data.
How many days do the 2026 and 2027 holidays differ by?
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Seollal | Feb 14 (Sat) - 18 (Wed), 5 days | Feb 6 (Sat) - 9 (Tue), 4 days |
| Chuseok | Sep 24 (Thu) - 27 (Sun), 4 days | Sep 14 (Tue) - 16 (Thu), 3 days |
The day counts are the number of days that run unbroken across holidays and Saturdays and Sundays. Seollal 2027 falls on a Sunday (Feb 7), so the substitute holiday attaches on Tuesday (Feb 9) and the Saturday before it (Feb 6) joins the break, making 4 days. Chuseok is centered on Wednesday (Sep 15), so both sides are weekdays that do not touch a weekend, and it stops at 3 days. When the Seollal or Chuseok holiday overlaps a Saturday, no substitute holiday is created, so there is no substitute for the Saturday (Sep 26) of Chuseok 2026.
With leave, how long can you rest at Seollal 2027?
After Seollal 2027, Wednesday to Friday (Feb 10-12) are weekdays, followed by the weekend. Depending on where and how much leave you take, the days off change like this.
- No leave: Feb 6 (Sat) - 9 (Tue), 4 days
- 1 leave day (Feb 10 Wed or Feb 5 Fri): 5 days
- 2 leave days (Feb 5 Fri and Feb 10 Wed): Feb 5 (Fri) - 10 (Wed), 6 days
- 3 leave days (Feb 10-12): Feb 6 (Sat) - 14 (Sun), 9 days
The combination that rests 9 days with 3 leave days has an efficiency (days off ÷ leave) of 3. Each added leave day extends your break by one day, and only when you fill in through the last Friday (Feb 12) does the weekend attach all at once to make 9 days. If you do not have 3 leave days, even 1 day makes a 5-day break, so pick whichever is the lighter load.
Are 1-2 leave days enough for Chuseok 2027?
Chuseok is shorter but more efficient. The leave recommendation function in Hyuilmoa gives both holiday combinations for 2027 as 6 days for 1 leave day.
- 1 leave day on Sep 13 (Mon): Sep 11 (Sat) - 16 (Thu), 6 days, efficiency 6
- 1 leave day on Sep 17 (Fri): Sep 14 (Tue) - 19 (Sun), 6 days, efficiency 6
- 2 leave days, both dates: Sep 11 (Sat) - 19 (Sun), 9 days, efficiency 4.5
If you can only take one day of leave, even the same single day gives a longer break before or after Chuseok (6 days) than around Seollal (5 days). If you have room to take 2-3 days, both holidays reach 9 days, so pick the one where you would rather gather your leave in a single stretch.
Compared the same way with this year’s (2026) holidays?
For Seollal 2026, taking 2 leave days on the Thursday and Friday (Feb 19-20) after the 5-day break gives 9 days, Feb 14 (Sat) - 22 (Sun). For Chuseok, 1 leave day on Sep 28 (Mon) gives 5 days, Sep 24 (Thu) - 28 (Mon). To make the same 9 days, Seollal 2026 needs 2 leave days while Seollal 2027 needs 3, so as the holiday got shorter you must use one more leave day. On the other hand, Chuseok 2027 makes 9 days with 2 leave days, so it can be seen as a year where you rest longer while saving leave compared with this year.
Things to watch when planning
- The dates are values from the Hyuilmoa data (based on the KASI almanac and Ministry of Personnel Management announcements) that do not reflect 2027 election days or temporary holidays. If the government designates a temporary holiday, the length of the break can change.
- Whether you can take leave, the approval criteria and your company’s own days off differ by company. Requests pile up around the holidays, so check your team’s schedule and HR rules first.
- The day counts above assume a 5-day work week with Saturday and Sunday off. If you work on Saturdays, recount.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 2027 Seollal holiday only 4 days?
Seollal (Feb 7) is a Sunday, so the substitute holiday attaches on Feb 9 (Tue), and Feb 6 (Sat), the first day of the holiday, joins from before, making 4 days from Saturday to Tuesday.
Is there a substitute holiday for Chuseok 2027?
Not in the Hyuilmoa data. The Chuseok holiday (Sep 14-16) does not overlap a Sunday, so it does not qualify for a substitute holiday.
If I can only take one day of leave, where is best?
Among the 2027 holidays, Sep 13 (Mon) before Chuseok or Sep 17 (Fri) after it gives the longest break at 6 days. For Seollal, one leave day gives 5 days.
You can check the dates that fit your own leave balance on the Seollal and Chuseok holiday page.