Ahead of Chuseok in 2026, office workers are focusing on vacation plans for a 'golden holiday.' By using just three days of annual leave, it is possible to secure up to nine consecutive days off.

Chuseok Holiday Falls on September 24–26… The Key to the Golden Holiday Is '3 Days of Annual Leave'

This year's Chuseok falls on Friday, September 25. The official Chuseok holiday lasts only three days, from Thursday, September 24 to Saturday, September 26.

However, taking a broader look at the calendar changes the length of the break significantly. If workers use annual leave for the three weekdays immediately before the Chuseok holiday—Monday, September 21 through Wednesday, September 23—it connects naturally with the holiday beginning on the 24th, and combines with the preceding weekend of Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20.

The situation after the holiday is the same. The fact that September 26, the last day of the Chuseok holiday, falls on a Saturday, and the following day, the 27th, is a Sunday, also contributes to creating the golden holiday.

Accordingly, for those on a five-day workweek, it is possible to create nine consecutive days off from Saturday, September 19 to Sunday, September 27. However, this does not mean the statutory holiday is extended to nine days; the schedule is achievable only on the assumption that an individual can use three days of annual leave.

Concentrating Annual Leave Before the Holiday Is Advantageous

In particular, this year the Chuseok holiday falls on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so it is most effective to concentrate annual leave before the holiday. For office workers planning overseas trips, long-distance domestic travel, or visits to their hometowns, whether they can secure annual leave for September 21–23 is expected to greatly determine the length of their Chuseok vacation.

May Not Apply to Shift Workers and Weekend Workers

That said, work arrangements and annual leave approval procedures vary by workplace. At workplaces with shift schedules or jobs requiring weekend work, the same nine-day holiday arrangement may not apply.

[※ This article is intended to provide information based on the 2026 public holiday schedule and a standard five-day workweek. Actual days off and the availability of annual leave may vary depending on each workplace's employment rules, work arrangements, and leave approval. This article was written with AI assistance.]