There Will Be a Total of 6 Holidays Lasting 3 Days or More Next Year... 2 Additional Substitute Holidays

Ministry of Science and ICT to Announce Next Year's Calendar Essentials on the 11th

Calendar. Archive photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Next year, there will be a total of six holidays lasting three days or more, and the number of holidays increased by two due to the addition of substitute holiday application targets.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 11th the 2022 "Wolryeok Yohang" (Calendar Essentials) for Korea's calendar production in 2022 (Danki 4355). Wolryeok Yohang is an annual publication based on astronomical law that provides accurate dates, solar terms, and public holidays stipulated by related laws, serving as the standard for calendar production so that citizens can use it in daily life and various activities.

First, the amendment to the "Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices," which expands the application of substitute holidays and passed the Cabinet meeting on the 3rd, was reflected. Accordingly, in addition to the existing Lunar New Year and its adjacent days, Chuseok and its adjacent days, and Children's Day, four more holidays?March 1st Movement Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, and Hangeul Day?were added as substitute holiday application targets, expanding public holidays.

The total number of public holidays marked in red on next year's calendar for government offices is 67 days. Originally, there were 71 days, including Sundays (52 days) and national holidays such as National Foundation Day and Lunar New Year (19 days). However, Buddha's Birthday (May 8), the last day of the Chuseok holiday (September 11), Hangeul Day (October 9), and Christmas (Christian Nativity Day, December 25) fall on Sundays, resulting in a total of 67 days. This is the same as this year (67 days).

Notably, the additional holidays next year include the presidential election (March 9), nationwide simultaneous local elections (June 1), Chuseok substitute holiday (September 12), and Hangeul Day substitute holiday (October 10).

For institutions implementing a five-day workweek, the total number of holidays is confirmed to be 118 days. This is calculated by adding 67 public holidays for government offices and 53 Saturdays, totaling 120 days, minus two holidays that overlap with Saturdays (January 1 and the second day of the Chuseok holiday, September 10), resulting in 118 days. This is two days more than this year (116 days).

Based on institutions with a five-day workweek, there are six instances of holidays lasting three days or more. These are January 29 to February 2 (Lunar New Year holiday and Saturday-Sunday, 5 days), June 4 to 6 (Memorial Day and Saturday-Sunday, 3 days), August 13 to 15 (Liberation Day and Saturday-Sunday, 3 days), September 9 to 12 (Chuseok holiday and substitute holiday, 4 days), October 1 to 3 (National Foundation Day and Saturday-Sunday, 3 days), and October 8 to 10 (Hangeul Day, Saturday, and substitute holiday, 3 days).

Major traditional holidays are Lunar New Year (Lunar January 1) on February 1 (Tuesday), Jeongwol Daeboreum (Lunar January 15) on February 15 (Tuesday), Dano (Lunar May 5) on June 3 (Friday), Chilseok (Lunar July 7) on August 4 (Thursday), and Chuseok (Lunar August 15) on September 10 (Saturday). Hansik (Cold Food Festival) is on April 6 (Wednesday), Chobok (first heat) on July 16 (Saturday), Jungbok (middle heat) on July 26 (Tuesday), and Malbok (last heat) on August 15 (Monday).

Meanwhile, this Wolryeok Yohang includes local public holidays. Local public holidays are days when local government offices are specially closed according to the "Regulations on Local Public Holidays," commemorating historical events that occurred in the respective regions. These include Jeju Special Self-Governing Province's April 3rd Jeju Uprising Victims Memorial Day (April 3) and Gwangju Metropolitan City's May 18th Democratic Movement Memorial Day (May 18).

For more details, please refer to the Official Gazette and the websites of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute's Astronomical Knowledge Information.