Explore South Korea’s major holidays and traditional celebrations. Learn about Korean New Year, Chuseok, and other key festivals that shape Korean culture and life.
Korean Holidays
A Complete Guide to South Korea’s National Festivals & Celebrations
South Korea Holidays
Korean National Holidays
January 1st
New Years Day
신정 Sinjeong
The official name of the holiday means New Calendar New Year's Day.
1st Day of 1st Lunar Month
Korean New Year
설날 Seollal
Also called Seol (설) or Gujeong (Korean: 구정; Hanja: 舊正). The first day of the Korean lunar calendar. It is one of the most important of the traditional Korean holidays, and is considered a more important holiday than the Gregorian New Year's Day.
15th Day of 1st Lunar Month
Daeboreum
정월 대보름 Jeong-wol daeboreum
Daeboreum is a Korean holiday that celebrates the first full moon of the new year of the lunar Korean calendar which is the Korean version of the First Full Moon Festival. This holiday is accompanied by many traditions.
March 1st
Independence Movement Day
3ㆍ1절 Samiljeol
This day commemorates the March 1st Movement in 1919. On March 1 of this year, 33 Korean nationalists and students declared their nation's independence in Seoul. It started a nationwide civil protest and was a catalyst for the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.
May 5th
Children's Day
어린이날 Eorininal
The day on which to esteem the personalities of children and plan for their happiness. In Korea, Children's Day started on May 1, 1922, when 8 people including Bang Jeong-hwan (방정환) declared the Day and held an anniversary. In 1946, the Day changed to May 5, and became a public holiday in 1975.
8th Day of 4th Lunar Month
Buddha's Birthday
부처님 오신 날 Bucheonnim Osinnal
Formerly called Seokgatansinil (Korean: 석가탄신일; Hanja: 釋迦誕辰日); also referred to as Sawol Chopail (Korean: 사월 초파일; Hanja: 四月初八日). The birthday of Gautama Buddha
June 6th
Memorial Day
현충일 Hyeonchung-il
The day commemorates the men and women who died while in military service or in the independence movement. On this day, a national commemoration ceremony is held at the Seoul National Cemetery and Daejeon National Cemetery.
July 17th
Constitution Day
제헌절 Jeheonjeol
The day celebrates the promulgation of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea in 1948.
August 15
Liberation Day
광복절 Gwangbokjeol
The day celebrates the national liberation from the Empire of Japan in 1945. On the same day in 1948, the government of the Republic of Korea was established. The word Gwangbok (Korean: 광복) means "restoration of light".
15th Day of 8th Lunar Month
Chuseok
추석
Also called Han-gawi (Korean: 한가위). Korean traditional harvest and Mid-Autumn Festival. With Korean New Year, it is one of the most important Korean traditional holidays. As a celebration of the good harvest, Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and feast on traditional food.
October 3th
National Foundation Day
개천절 Gaecheonjeol
The day celebrates the foundation of Gojoseon, the first state of the Korean nation. According to the Samguk Yusa, Dangun founded Gojoseon on the 3rd day of 10th lunar month, 2333 BC. Today, South Koreans celebrate their national foundation on October 3 according to the Gregorian calendar, for convenience sake. Gaecheonjeol means "Heaven-opened Day".
October 9th
Hangul Day
한글날 Hangeulnal
The day commemorates the invention (1443) and the proclamation (1446) of hangul, the native alphabet of the Korean language. King Sejong the Great, inventor of hangul, is one of the most honored rulers in Korean history.
December 25th
Christmas
크리스마스/성탄절 Seongtanjeol
Commonly called Seongtanjeol (Korean: 성탄절; Hanja: 聖誕節), especially among Korean Christians.
Start Your Journey Teaching English Abroad
Teaching English abroad offers a rewarding career and unique cultural experiences.
At Aclipse, we provide opportunities to teach English in Korea, one of the most vibrant destinations for English teaching jobs.
If you find yourself looking for ESL jobs in Korea, we provide the necessary support and resources to ensure a seamless transition into your new role.
Join our program to explore the exciting possibilities of teaching English in Korea.
At Aclipse, we provide opportunities to teach English in Korea, one of the most vibrant destinations for English teaching jobs.
If you find yourself looking for ESL jobs in Korea, we provide the necessary support and resources to ensure a seamless transition into your new role.
Join our program to explore the exciting possibilities of teaching English in Korea.
APPLICATION PROCESS TO TEACH IN KOREA
A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Teacher in Korea
Step 1. Application
If you meet the requirements to be an English teacher in Korea, please apply on our website.
Step 2. Interview
If you pass our screening requirements, a recruiter will be in touch with you for an interview.
Step 3. General Offer
If you pass the interview, the recruiter will send you a general offer with the pay and conditions and detailed visa instructions.
Step 4. Document Collection
You will need to start the document collection in order to obtain a working visa in Korea. This could sometimes take a few months.
Step 5. Contract
Once your documents are complete and you are accepted by a location, you will receive a contract and the recruiter will go over the finer details.
Step 6. Visa Processing (E-2)
The visa code will be issued 1-2 weeks after applying to the Korean Immigration office. You will then take this code to the nearest Korean Consulate to complete the process.
Step 7. Arrival & Training
You will check into the hotel the weekend before the training date. Training will take place from Monday to Friday.
Our Blog - Discover Living in Korea: Embrace the Culture
What's It Like Teaching In Korea?
COMMON QUESTIONS LIVING AS A TEACHER IN KOREA
Frequently asked questions about teaching English in South Korea
What degree do I need to teach In Korea?
Any college major works for teaching in Korea; it's not limited to just English or Education.
No prior teaching experience is necessary in most cases as employers offer training programs in Korea, providing additional teaching support from other teachers in your school or your Korean co-teacher (in the case of public school programs).
In order to apply with Aclipse, however, Your Bachelor's degree needs to be from an English-speaking country, and Associate's degrees are not accepted.
How much can I make teaching in Korea?
You can earn a starting monthly salary ranging from 2.4 to 4.0 Million KRW while teaching in Korea. Additionally, you'll enjoy perks like paid vacation, national holidays and your flight to Korea will be reimbursed.
For more information on teacher benefits, visit this link
Do English teachers In Korea get free housing?
Housing is provided for English teachers in Korea.
If housing is not provided, you will receive a higher salary.
Apartments may vary in size based on your teaching location, but they typically come with essential amenities such as a washer, closet, storage space, stove, refrigerator, and a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower.
Do I need to speak Korean in order to teach in Korea?
No, you don't need to be a native speaker or even know Korean to teach English in Korea.
In classrooms, only English is used for teaching. Students are not allowed to speak Korean during lessons, creating an all-English learning environment.
Can I experience this opportunity with a friend or partner?
We will accept applications and interview candidates with dependents, but these candidates should know that we cannot offer additional assistance with their dependents, and the employers will not assist in any way. Unfortunately, benefits are for employees only. Therefore, people bringing dependents like children, spouses, or partners will need to find their own accommodations, secure the visa for these dependents, pay for their flight, and secure schooling for any children. International schools can be very expensive. If you are bringing dependents, you will need to be placed in a city like Seoul, where it is easier to find apartments, schools, and support networks. Some employers do not accept applications from people with dependents so we will advise you on which employers do and do not.
I'm thinking of enrolling in a TESL/CELTA course. Will that help?
Only certain programs (100+ hours of study) will qualify teachers to receive extra salary. It is not a requirement of the job to have a TESL/CELTA certificate, but it is definitely excellent preparation for an ESL teaching position. You can check out one of our partners if you're interested: https://www.
What are we expected to teach?
Lesson plans are based on the curriculum. During training, teachers will learn how to teach the material. Teachers are encouraged to use their own creativity and individual teaching styles to engage students in the lesson material/content.
REVIEWS FROM OUR TEACHERS IN KOREA
What Our Teacher's Have To Say...
My time with CDI was a real blessing. I can not stress how much I loved the kids!
It's the best part of the job and they make time fly by! I didn't have much experience working with kids beforehand so I was definitely nervous coming in, but I'm glad I had the chance to experience this opportunity.
I'm having an amazing time so far.
I love my apartment and the area is actually lots of fun even though it's quite a ways from the center on public transport. My branch seems great so far and everyone's been very welcoming, I don't start teaching until tomorrow but I'm really excited!
We have had a great first week and a few days! Training was great!
he mocks are very helpful because you get feedback right away that you can use to improve your teaching. We had a great trainer that was willing to help us and not afraid to tell us how to make changes.
In the past month, we went through a very helpful online and in-person training that helped me feel significantly more prepared and less intimidated about teaching in front of a classroom! I moved into a great apartment in Gangnam, and got to explore a little bit of the surrounding areas! We’ve visited the Coex mall, the Bukchon Hanok Village, Ssamzigil market, Ikseondong, and explored all the shops and cafes in our neighborhood.
