The short answer
- The 2026 Chuseok break runs Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27 — four days. No substitute holiday — Monday, September 28 is a regular workday.
- The one day when most things actually close? Friday, September 25, Chuseok Day. The other three days, the city runs almost like normal.
- Open on Chuseok Day: the four main palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, N Seoul Tower, Lotte World & Seoul Sky, convenience stores, subways and buses, most big-box stores.
- Closed on Chuseok Day: every department store branch, the National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum, DDP, bank branches, most neighborhood pharmacies, many traditional markets.
- Banks are closed all four days — handle currency exchange at the airport, Myeongdong private exchanges, WOWPASS kiosks, or ATMs.
Chuseok is, alongside Lunar New Year, Korea’s biggest holiday. So it’s natural for a first-time visitor to Seoul to hear things like “the city turns into a ghost town” and get a little nervous. But as of 2026, that’s an exaggeration.
The reality is simpler: exactly one day — September 25 — sees widespread closures, and even that day is perfectly manageable depending on what you plan to do.
This guide lays it all out in a facility-by-facility open/closed table, so you know exactly how to spend that one day.
Chuseok 2026 Dates: The 4-Day Calendar at a Glance
The break runs Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27 — four days total. Chuseok Day is Friday, September 25.
| Date | Day | Type | What the city feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24 | Thu | Public holiday (day before Chuseok) | Markets at peak bustle, some department stores begin their closure, highways and trains at maximum chaos |
| Sep 25 | Fri | Public holiday (Chuseok Day) | The heaviest closure day. Department stores, banks, national museums, most pharmacies shut. |
| Sep 26 | Sat | Public holiday (day after Chuseok) | Many places reopen; a few department stores stay closed this day instead |
| Sep 27 | Sun | Sunday (not a public holiday) | Essentially a normal Sunday. Return-trip gridlock peaks. |
| Sep 28 | Mon | Regular workday | Everything back to normal. No substitute holiday. |
Why no substitute holiday? Under Korea’s Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices, substitute holidays for Seollal and Chuseok are only granted when the holiday overlaps with a Sunday or another public holiday. The 2026 Chuseok break falls on Thursday through Saturday — no Sunday overlap. (Saturday overlaps only trigger substitute holidays for Children’s Day and Buddha’s Birthday, not Chuseok.)
Travel planning tips
- You only need a special plan for Sep 25. Don't schedule shopping, markets, or non-emergency medical visits that day. Fill it with palaces, observatories, theme parks, and the Han River instead.
- Push shopping to Sep 26–27. Most department stores and duty-free shops are back, and crowds haven't surged yet.
- Take care of these by Sep 23 (Wed): currency exchange, pharmacy runs, SIM card / T-money top-ups, and double-checking reservations.
- If the government designates an additional temporary public holiday, the break could get longer. As of August 2026, no such announcement has been made.
Chuseok Day Cheat Sheet: What's Open, What's Closed on September 25
Let’s answer the most common question straight away. The table below applies to Chuseok Day only — September 24, 26, and 27 are far more relaxed.
🗓️ September 25 (Fri) — Chuseok Day open/closed at a glance
| Category | Open ⭕ | Closed ❌ |
|---|---|---|
| Sightseeing | Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Jongmyo Shrine, N Seoul Tower, Seoul Sky, Lotte World, Everland, COEX Aquarium | National Museum of Korea, National Folk Museum, DDP |
| Shopping | Convenience stores, most big-box stores (shortened hours), duty-free shops, some large malls | All department store branches, outlets, Costco |
| Food & drink | Chain cafés and fast food, hotel restaurants, Myeongdong tourist strip | Many mom-and-pop / family-run restaurants |
| Markets | Some food stalls in Gwangjang Market’s food alley | Gyeongdong Market, Tongin Market, most Namdaemun shops |
| Medical | Emergency rooms (24h), designated on-call clinics, on-call pharmacies | Regular clinics, most neighborhood pharmacies |
| Banking | ATMs, online/mobile banking, some private exchange kiosks | All bank branches |
| Transport | Subway & bus (public holiday timetable), Airport Railroad, taxis, Ddareungi (Seoul Bike) | — |
Palaces & Museums — The Hidden Upside of Chuseok
Here’s the rule of thumb: palaces open, national museums close. It’s the one thing that trips people up, but the logic is straightforward.
Every year, the Korea Heritage Service opens the four main palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, and the Royal Tombs for free during the Chuseok break. In 2025, they ran the full seven-day holiday period with free, no-closure-day admission. Even Jongmyo Shrine — which normally requires a timed reservation — switches to open-access free roaming. National museums, on the other hand, have Seollal and Chuseok Day written into their bylaws as official closure days.
🏯 Palace & museum operating schedule (based on past years; 2026 confirmation pending)
| Venue | 9/24 Thu | 9/25 Fri | 9/26 Sat | 9/27 Sun | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | Free admission tradition. Secret Garden at Changdeokgung not included — separate reservation required |
| Jongmyo Shrine | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | No reservation needed during free-admission period |
| Royal Tombs | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | Often closed the day after the free period ends |
| National Museum of Korea | ⭕ | ❌ | ⭕ | ⭕ | Closure days: Jan 1 + Seollal Day + Chuseok Day |
| National Folk Museum | ⭕ | ❌ | ⭕ | ⭕ | Inside Gyeongbokgung grounds. Hosts seasonal folk events around the break. |
| Seoul Museum of History | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | City-run museums follow a different policy. 09:00–19:00 |
| DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza) | ⭕ | ❌ | ⭕ | ⭕ | Closed on Seollal Day and Chuseok Day |
| N Seoul Tower | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | Open 365 days |
| Seoul Sky (Lotte World Tower) | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | Normal hours throughout the break |
| Lotte World Adventure & Aquarium | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | Peak holiday season, special performances |
| Everland | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | Holiday special-week programming |
| COEX Aquarium | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | ⭕ | 365 days, 10:00–20:00 |
Why Chuseok Day is the best time to visit the palaces
A huge share of Seoul residents head to their hometowns, and those who stay are mostly tied up with family gatherings. That means the palaces in the morning are some of the quietest they'll be all year. And admission is free. The Gyeongbokgung Royal Guard Changing Ceremony has run twice daily (10:00 and 14:00) in past years, with the Sulla Patrol Ceremony once at 15:00 — no advance reservation needed.
Department Stores, Supermarkets & Duty-Free: The Full Closure Calendar
The standard pattern among Seoul’s big three — Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai — is two consecutive closure days with Chuseok Day as one of them. The exact pairing varies by branch.
- Day-before + Chuseok Day group (likely Sep 24–25): Lotte Main Branch & Jamsil, Shinsegae Gangnam, The Hyundai Seoul, Hyundai Trade Center
- Chuseok Day + day-after group (likely Sep 25–26): Shinsegae Main Branch (Myeongdong), Hyundai Apgujeong Main
This pattern has held for the past three years, but exact 2026 closure dates for each branch will be posted on each company’s website in early-to-mid September. Shinsegae Myeongdong and Lotte Main Branch tend to close on different days — if you’re planning a Myeongdong shopping run, keep an eye on those notices.
🛍️ Retail by channel — Chuseok Day (Sep 25) operations
| Channel | Chuseok Day | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Department stores (Lotte, Shinsegae, Hyundai, Galleria) | ❌ All branches closed | Two consecutive closure days including Chuseok Day is the norm |
| Outlets (Lotte, Hyundai) | ❌ Closed | Open on remaining break days |
| Costco | ❌ All locations closed | Explicit closure: Jan 1, Seollal Day, Chuseok Day |
| E-mart | ⭕ Most locations open | In 2025, only 43 of 133 stores closed |
| Lotte Mart | ⭕ Most open, shortened hours | 11:00–22:00 (vs. usual 10:00–23:00) |
| Homeplus | ⭕ Most open, shortened hours | In 2025, only 19 of 123 stores closed |
| Downtown duty-free (Lotte, Shinsegae, Hyundai) | ⭕ Generally open | Check entry routes if the department store building itself is closed |
| Incheon Airport duty-free | ⭕ Normal | Follows flight schedules; pickup counters 24h |
| Convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, E-mart24) | ⭕ 24h | Holidays are actually peak season for convenience stores |
| Large malls (Lotte World Mall, COEX Mall, etc.) | ⭕ Open | Shortened hours possible |
Watch out for mandatory closure days at big-box stores
Under Korea's Distribution Industry Development Act, large discount stores are required to close two Sundays a month — but districts can set their own dates. Seoul districts like Seocho, Dongdaemun, and Jung-gu have shifted their closures to weekdays instead. Sep 27 (Sun) is the fourth Sunday, so some locations may close that day. If you're planning a supermarket run, check the store's schedule in their app before heading out.
Traditional Markets & Restaurants — The Most Hit-or-Miss Category
Markets follow a distinct rhythm: the day before Chuseok is peak trade, Chuseok Day is the trough, and things gradually pick back up from the 26th.
It’s less of a “market-wide shutdown” and more of a majority closed, minority still open situation.
🏪 Major traditional markets — holiday patterns
| Market | Normal hours | Chuseok Day trend | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gwangjang Market | Food alley daily 09:00–23:00 | Partial food alley operation; fabric/vintage sections effectively shut | The single most realistic market bet for tourists on Chuseok Day |
| Namdaemun Market | Varies by building | Closure windows differ across buildings | The merchants’ association posts building-by-building holiday schedules annually |
| Tongin Market | 07:00–21:00 | Mostly closed | Even normally: closed Sundays + third Sunday of every month |
| Mangwon Market | Daily | Mostly closed | Bustling right up to the day before |
| Gyeongdong Market | 04:00–19:00 | ❌ Closed | Official policy: closed on Seollal Day and Chuseok Day |
What about restaurants? A survey of 20 popular eateries across Jung-gu, Jongno-gu, and Mapo-gu during the 2023 Chuseok found that only 6 closed for the entire break, while 12 shut for just one or two days. In other words: “close on Chuseok Day, open the rest” is the majority pattern.
The most reliable way to check if a place is open
- Naver Map / Kakao Map business hours — these get updated right before the holiday. Checking 1–2 days before your visit gives the most accurate read.
- Instagram Stories — small independent shops often post their holiday hours there and nowhere else.
- Your safety net — places guaranteed to be open: hotel restaurants, franchises, food courts in large malls (not department stores), and convenience stores.
Getting Sick During Chuseok: Where to Go and What to Do
Emergency rooms are legally required to operate 24/7/365. That part is non-negotiable, holiday or not.
The real challenge is everything below the ER threshold — a cold, a stomach bug, a minor cut. That’s where you need to find on-call clinics and on-call pharmacies.
🏥 Medical channels during the break (with language support info)
| Channel | Hours | Languages | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1330 Tourism Helpline | 24/7, year-round | 8 languages (EN, JP, CN, RU, VN, TH, Malay/Indonesian) | Medical interpretation, 3-way calls with 119. The single most reliable channel for foreigners. |
| 119 | 24/7 | 3-way interpretation | Emergency medical transport. Ambulance is free. |
| E-Gen Emergency Portal (e-gen.or.kr) | 24/7 web | Korean primarily | Auto-switches to “Open Hospitals & Pharmacies” view at midnight on public holidays |
| Emergency Medical App | 24/7 | Korean primarily | Map view of nearby ERs and on-call pharmacies |
| Holiday Pharmacy Finder (pharm114.or.kr) | 24/7 web | Korean | On-call pharmacy search |
| 129 Health & Welfare Call Center | Weekdays 09:00–18:00 | Korean | Effectively unavailable during the break |
| 120 Dasan Call Center | Main line 24h / foreign-language: weekdays 09:00–18:00 | 5 languages | No foreign-language support during the break |
| Seoul Global Center | Weekdays 09:00–18:00 | Multilingual | Likely closed Sep 24–27 entirely |
Pharmacies plummet on Chuseok Day
During the 2025 Chuseok break, the daily average number of open pharmacies was 6,964 — but on Chuseok Day itself, that number cratered to just 2,700, about 39% of the average. The takeaway is simple: buy your basic meds before the break starts.
When pharmacies are all closed, your backup is convenience store OTC meds. These are sold only at registered 24-hour stores, and yes — you can buy them on Chuseok Day.
💊 What you can buy at convenience stores (13 designated items, 11 commonly stocked)
| Category | Products |
|---|---|
| Pain & fever relief | Tylenol 500mg, Children’s Tylenol Suspension, Children’s Brufen Syrup |
| Cold medicine | Pancold-A Liquid, Panpirin-T Tablets |
| Digestive aids | Beaze Tablets, Doctor Beaze, Festal Gold, Festal Plus |
| Pain patches | Jeil Cool Pap, Sinsin Pas Arex |
- No sales to children under 12; limit one package unit per purchase.
- What you won’t find at a convenience store: antibiotics, anti-diarrheals, allergy meds, antacids, wound ointments, motion sickness pills — these require a pharmacy or doctor.
- Foreign visitors without Korean national health insurance pay 100% out of pocket. A basic ER visit starts around ₩200,000; fractures or surgery can push past ₩2,000,000. Travel insurance isn’t optional — it’s essential. Always get an English medical certificate and itemized receipts.
Currency Exchange & ATMs — Banks Are Closed All Four Days
From September 24 through September 27, not a single bank branch opens its doors. That’s three public holidays plus a Sunday. ATMs and online/mobile banking, however, keep running normally.
💱 Getting cash and exchanging currency during the break
| Method | Holiday availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bank branch exchange | ❌ Closed Sep 24–27 entirely | Get it done by Sep 23 (Wed) |
| Incheon Airport exchange counters | ⭕ Some counters 24h | Woori Bank T1 1F & 3F, etc. Others run ~06:00–22:00 |
| Myeongdong private exchange kiosks | 🔺 Many advertise year-round operation | Rates often beat banks, but individual kiosks may close for the holiday — confirm before you go |
| WOWPASS self-service kiosks | ⭕ 24h | Foreigner-only prepaid card + T-money. At airports, Myeongdong, Hongdae, major subway stations |
| Bank ATMs (KB, Shinhan, Woori, Hana) | ⭕ 24h | Reliable foreign-card compatibility, English UI, lower fees |
| Convenience store ATMs | ⭕ 24h | 7-Eleven’s Seven Bank supports 12 languages. Fees higher than bank ATMs. |
| Travel cards (Wise, Revolut, etc.) | ⭕ | Pair with ATM withdrawals for the smoothest setup |
Getting Around Seoul During Chuseok: Subways, Taxis & the KTX Gauntlet
Getting around within Seoul is mostly worry-free. Getting into or out of the city, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
| Item | Holiday operation | Heads-up |
|---|---|---|
| Subway & city buses | ⭕ All four days, public-holiday timetable | Headways are longer than weekdays. Some routes reduce service. |
| Late-night subway extension | 🔺 Varies year by year | Extended to 2 AM in 2024; not implemented in 2023 or 2025. Don’t assume anything until the 2026 announcement. |
| Night owl buses (N-buses) | ⭕ Normal | |
| Airport Railroad | ⭕ Normal | Express train ~40-min intervals |
| Taxis | ⭕ Normal | Demand spikes late at night during the break |
| Ddareungi (Seoul Bike) | ⭕ Normal | Foreigner short-term passes: 1-day ₩5,000 / 3-day ₩10,000 / 7-day ₩20,000 |
| Expressway tolls | 🔺 Typically waived during the break | In 2025, tolls were waived on 4 of 5 break days. The Ministry of Land announces this right before the break. |
| KTX holiday train tickets | 🔺 Separate pre-sale for holiday periods | Runs about a month before the break. Seoul ↔ Busan and Seoul ↔ Gwangju sell out within hours. |
| Public parking lots | 🔺 Often free during the break | Some lots under Seoul Facilities Corporation. Locations and dates vary each year. |
Three golden rules for holiday travel
- Avoid the morning of Sep 24 and the afternoon of Sep 27. Those are peak outbound and return-traffic windows, respectively.
- If you need to travel between Seoul and other cities, mark the KTX holiday pre-sale date on your calendar and book the instant it opens.
- Bukchon Hanok Village is a restricted zone year-round, Chuseok or not. Tourist access is only allowed 10:00–17:00. Fines for violations run ₩100,000.
The Perfect Chuseok Day Itinerary: September 25 Without Wasting a Minute
If you only look at what’s closed, September 25 can feel bleak. But flip the perspective: this is one of the rare days when Seoul feels uncrowded. Walking through a free-admission palace in the morning, with the grounds nearly to yourself — that’s an experience you can’t buy on any other day of the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does Seoul really empty out during Chuseok?
Only half true. The downtown office district and residential side streets definitely feel deserted, but Myeongdong, Hongdae, the palaces, the Han River, and major tourist zones are — if anything — bustling. In recent years, foreign visitor numbers have grown enough that Myeongdong during Chuseok borders on peak season.
Q. Are Seoul hotels expensive during Chuseok?
Domestic travel demand floods to the provinces and overseas, so Seoul hotels are often not in super-peak pricing. The bottleneck is airport traffic right before and after the break.
Q. Can I try traditional Chuseok foods on the day itself?
Chuseok food is home food, so you won’t easily find it in restaurants. Songpyeon (half-moon rice cakes) are sold at rice cake shops, supermarkets, and convenience stores in the lead-up to the break. For jeon (savory pancakes) and galbijjim (braised short ribs), your best bet is a hanjeongsik restaurant or a supermarket deli counter.
Q. What if I need to visit a government office or embassy?
Everything is closed Sep 24–27. September 28 (Mon) is a regular workday — schedule it for then.
Q. When does all this information get confirmed?
Department store closure dates, palace free-admission windows, expressway toll waiver periods, and late-night subway extensions are typically announced between early and mid-September. This guide will be updated once those announcements land.
Sources
- Korea Legislation Information Center — Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices (substitute holiday criteria)
- Policy Briefing — Free admission to four palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, and Royal Tombs during Chuseok (2025 implementation)
- National Museum of Korea — Visitor Guide · National Folk Museum — Visitor Guide (holiday closure policy)
- Seoul Museum of History — Visitor Guide · DDP — Operating Hours
- SBS — Chuseok department store and supermarket closure schedules (2025 branch-by-branch data)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — Chuseok Comprehensive Measures (emergency medical, transport, parking)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare — Holiday on-call clinics and pharmacies
- Ministry of Health and Welfare — OTC drug sales outside pharmacies (13 designated items, sales rules)
- Emergency Medical Portal E-Gen · Holiday Pharmacy Finder · 1330 Korea Travel Hotline
- Newsis — Chuseok Seoul restaurant operating status survey (20 venues across Jung-gu, Jongno-gu, Mapo-gu)
- Seoul City — Bukchon special-management zone access restrictions · Seoul City — Ddareungi foreigner short-term passes
Individual 2026 Chuseok details (department store closure dates, palace free-admission windows, expressway toll waiver days, late-night subway extensions) will be confirmed after announcements in early-to-mid September. Last verified: August 8, 2026.