"I've Already Bought My Flight Ticket"... When to Get a Nine-Day Golden Holiday With Just Three Days of Annual Leave

'Bridge' Strategy Periods in May, September, and October This Year
Up to 9 Consecutive Days Off Possible Depending on Annual Leave Placement

During the last Lunar New Year holiday, quite a few office workers took two additional days of annual leave, allowing them to rest for up to nine days. This once again confirmed that the actual duration of rest is determined more by how you use your annual leave in conjunction with public holidays than by the number of holidays themselves. So, which stretches of the remaining holidays should you target to create the most efficient 'golden holiday'?

If you place annual leave between the substitute holiday for National Foundation Day (October 5) and Hangul Day (October 9), you can have a continuous 9-day break. Getty Images

According to the '2026 Calendar Guidelines' announced by the Ministry of Personnel Management, there are a total of 70 official public holidays this year. For those on a five-day workweek, including Saturdays and Sundays, this means a total of 118 days off annually. In terms of numbers alone, there is little difference compared to previous years.

However, several substitute holidays will occur this year because holidays such as Independence Movement Day, Buddha's Birthday, Liberation Day, and National Foundation Day coincide with weekends. While the total number of holidays remains similar, the number of 'connecting links' that allow for consecutive days off during the workweek has increased. This means that if you use your annual leave strategically, your perceived amount of rest can be significantly expanded.

October 2026 calendar. If you arrange annual leave between the substitute holiday for National Foundation Day (October 5) and Hangeul Day (October 9), you can enjoy a 9-day continuous break. Naver Calendar

May and June: Plan Short but Intense Holidays

The first period to pay attention to is May. Labor Day on May 1 falls on a Friday, and Children's Day on May 5 falls on a Tuesday. If you take annual leave for one of the weekdays in between, you can enjoy five consecutive days off, including the weekend. In particular, Labor Day is recognized as a paid holiday for private sector employees, making it especially meaningful.

June 3 is the date of the 9th Nationwide Local Elections and will be designated as a temporary public holiday under the Public Official Election Act. By taking annual leave immediately before or after this day, you can plan a mini-holiday of four to five days. However, Memorial Day on June 6 falls on a Saturday, and no substitute holiday is provided. Depending on how you use your annual leave in this period, you could end up with either three days or five days off.

Image to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay

The fact that Constitution Day on July 17 is being reinstated as a public holiday for the first time in 18 years is another variable. This makes it possible to plan a short trip before the peak summer vacation season or to extend your main vacation period. Overall, the first half of the year is favorable for planning short but impactful breaks.

September and October: Up to Nine Days of Extended Holidays

The second half of the year is structurally longer. Centering around the Chuseok holiday from September 24 to 28, if you add annual leave to the three weekdays before Chuseok and include the weekends, you can secure an extended break of up to around nine days. This is considered the optimal period of the year for office workers planning overseas trips or extended stays.

October is also a strategic period. If you take annual leave between the substitute holiday for National Foundation Day (October 5) and Hangul Day (October 9), you can enjoy nine consecutive days off. The second half of the year is thus regarded as a time when taking just two to three days of annual leave can maximize your rest.

Travelers visiting Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 are lining up to check in.

There are also small bonuses at the end of the year. Christmas Day on December 25 and New Year's Day on January 1 of the following year both fall on a Friday, naturally creating two three-day holidays without the need for annual leave. It is an ideal schedule for balancing year-end work wrap-up and recharging.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.