Mitra KoreaWorking on Chuseok and Seollal Holidays, Holiday Pay, and Going Home on Leave
If your workplace has 5 or more workers, public holidays are paid holidays. If you work on a holiday, you get at least 1.5 times your pay.
Quick summary
- At workplaces with 5 or more regular workers, public holidays such as Seollal and Chuseok are paid holidays. This rule has covered workplaces with 5 to 29 workers since January 1, 2022.
- If you work on a public holiday, you get 1.5 times your pay for up to 8 hours, and 2 times your pay for hours over 8.
- If the company makes a written agreement with the workers' representative, it can give you a day off on a different workday instead of the public holiday.
- A holiday bonus (called "tteokgap") is not required by law. You get it only if it is written in your 근로계약서 (employment contract) or the company rules (취업규칙).
- If you want to go home for a long time, you must agree with your employer first. As a general rule, a registered foreigner who comes back within 1 year of the day they left Korea does not need a separate re-entry permit.
Public holidays left in 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| September 24 | Thu | Day before Chuseok |
| September 25 | Fri | Chuseok |
| September 26 | Sat | Day after Chuseok |
| October 3 | Sat | National Foundation Day (개천절) |
| October 5 | Mon | Substitute holiday (for National Foundation Day) |
| October 9 | Fri | Hangeul Day (한글날) |
| December 25 | Fri | Christmas |
- In 2026, Chuseok is on September 25 (Fri). The holiday period is from September 24 to 26.
- For Seollal and Chuseok holidays, a substitute holiday is given only when a holiday falls on a Sunday. In 2026, the Chuseok holidays fall on a Saturday (September 26), so there is no substitute holiday.
- National Foundation Day falls on a Saturday, so the next workday, October 5 (Mon), becomes a substitute holiday.
- The government may announce a temporary public holiday later. Check for news about new holidays by calling 1345 or reading your company's notices.
How much do I get if I work on a public holiday?
The extra pay rule is in 근로기준법 (Labor Standards Act) Article 56(2).
| Working hours | Rate |
|---|---|
| Holiday work, up to 8 hours | 1.5 times ordinary wage |
| Holiday work, hours over 8 | 2 times ordinary wage |
| Holiday work over 8 hours + between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. | 2.5 times ordinary wage |
Example: a worker's ordinary hourly wage is 10,320원 (the 2026 minimum wage). They work 10 hours on Chuseok day. The pay is:
- 8 hours × 15,480원 = 123,840원
- 2 extra hours × 20,640원 = 41,280원
- Total 165,120원
If you get a monthly salary, the 100% for the paid holiday is already in your monthly pay. So your 급여명세서 (pay slip) often shows only the extra part, not the full amount above. If you do not understand an item, you can ask the company to show how they calculated it.
When the day off is changed (holiday substitution)
The company can swap a public holiday with another workday if it makes a written agreement with the workers' representative (근로기준법 Article 55(2), proviso). For example, you work on Chuseok day and take the next Wednesday off.
- If the day is swapped in this correct way, that day is no longer a holiday. So you do not get extra pay for holiday work.
- If the boss just says "I will give you a day off later" without a written agreement, this is usually not accepted as a holiday substitution. In this case, you can claim the extra pay.
- The company must tell you the new day off in advance.
Workplaces with fewer than 5 workers, and farming and livestock
- At workplaces with fewer than 5 regular workers, the rules on paid public holidays and extra pay for holiday work do not apply. You still get pay for the hours you work (100%) and at least the minimum wage.
- In farming, livestock and fishing (근로기준법 Article 63), the holiday rules also do not apply. There are no paid public holidays and no extra holiday pay. But you still get the 50% extra pay for night work (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.), and annual paid leave still applies.
Holiday bonus
A bonus or gift given for the holidays is not required by law. Check the following:
- Does your 근로계약서 (employment contract) have a bonus item?
- Do the company rules (취업규칙) or internal rules say how the bonus is paid?
- Has the company paid it to all workers for a long time without stopping?
If it is written in your contract or company rules and the company does not pay it, you can report it as unpaid wages. If there is no basis at all, it is hard to force the company to pay.
If you want to go home for a long time
E-9 has no special legal system called "home leave." In practice, workers use the ways below.
- Save up your annual leave and use it together. As a rule, the worker chooses the dates of annual leave. But if it causes serious problems for the company's work, the company can ask you to change the dates. So apply 2 to 3 months in advance.
- Add leave before or after the holiday period. If you add annual leave to days you already have off, like the Chuseok holidays, you can get a long break with only a few days of leave.
- Discuss unpaid leave. The law has no rules on unpaid leave, so you must get your employer's agreement. Write down the period, the date you will come back, how your pay will be handled, and use of the dormitory. Both sides should sign the paper.
- Buy your plane ticket after the agreement is done. If you buy it first and tell the employer later, they may say no.
Do not leave Korea without your employer's agreement. It will count as being absent without permission. If the employer reports that you left the workplace, you may have problems with your visa status.
Things to check before leaving and coming back
- No re-entry permit needed: As a general rule, a person who has done foreigner registration does not need a separate re-entry permit if they come back within 1 year of the day they left. This includes E-9.
- But your permitted stay period must still be valid. If your stay period will end soon, extend it first before you leave.
- If you want to stay abroad longer than 1 year (up to 2 years), you must get a multiple re-entry permit in advance. Apply through 하이코리아 (HiKorea, the government immigration website) e-services or at an 출입국·외국인관서 (immigration office). There is a fee.
- Always take your 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card) and passport with you when you leave, and bring them back.
- If you are not sure about your own case, check with 1345 or your local 출입국·외국인관서 before you leave.
Pay and the 4 major insurances during leave
- On paid holidays (public holidays, annual leave), you get your normal pay.
- During unpaid leave, you get no pay. Your monthly pay goes down by that amount.
- During unpaid leave, your health insurance stays active. If the leave is 1 month or longer, there is a system to reduce the insurance fee (reduction for workers on leave) and a system to pay it later. The company must apply for these, so tell the person in charge at your company before you leave. Also check with 국민건강보험공단 (National Health Insurance Service) at 1577-1000.
- A long unpaid leave may affect how your annual leave is counted for that year. For the exact rules, check with 1350.
Frequently asked questions
Q. I took Chuseok off, and my pay was cut for that day. A. At a workplace with 5 or more workers, public holidays are paid holidays. You must be paid even if you rest. Take your 급여명세서 (pay slip) and get advice from 1350 or 1577-0071.
Q. My company tells me to use my annual leave during the Chuseok holidays. A. At a workplace with 5 or more workers, public holidays are already paid holidays, so they cannot be replaced with annual leave. But the company can set regular workdays before or after the holidays as annual leave days, if there is a written agreement with the workers' representative (근로기준법 Article 62).
Q. If I work on Saturday, September 26, is it holiday work? A. September 26, 2026 is the day after Chuseok, so it is a public holiday. At a workplace with 5 or more workers, it is a paid holiday. If you work that day, you get extra pay for holiday work.
Q. The company gives a holiday bonus only to Korean workers, not to me. A. Treating workers differently because of nationality is a problem (discrimination). You can get advice from 1350 or 국가인권위원회 (National Human Rights Commission of Korea).
Where to get help
| Organization | Phone | Help with |
|---|---|---|
| 외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center) | 1345 | Questions about stay, re-entry and leaving Korea, 20 languages |
| 외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workers Counseling Center) | 1577-0071 | Problems with leave and extra pay, 18 languages |
| 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) Customer Center | 1350 | Public holidays, extra pay, annual leave |
| 국민건강보험공단 (National Health Insurance Service) | 1577-1000 | Insurance fees during leave (foreign languages: 033-811-2000) |
| 고용노동부 Labor Portal | labor.moel.go.kr | File a complaint online |