Koreans to Enjoy Fewer Public Holidays in the Year of the Rat

Koreans will enjoy fewer public holidays off this year because a handful for which no make-up holidays are mandated fall on a Sunday.

Of course it all started with New Year's Day, and the other 14 public holidays are Lunar New Year and Chuseok with three official days off each; March 1 Independence Movement Day, Children's Day, Memorial Day, Liberation Day, Foundation Day, Hangeul Day, Buddha's Birthday (April 8 by lunar calendar), and Christmas Day.

But March 1, Memorial Day, Liberation Day, and Foundation Day fall on Sundays and are not considered important enough to warrant a make-up holiday the following Monday, as some others do.

The general elections day on April 15 is also a one-off public holiday.

The year 1990 saw the most statutory public holidays with 19, including Jan. 2 as an additional New Year holiday, Arbor Day, Constitution Day, and even Armed Forces Day.