Korean Stock Market Holidays 2026

The KRX (Korea Exchange) is closed on all Korean national holidays and weekends. Here is the complete list for 2026.

Full Holiday Calendar

Date Day Holiday
January 1 Thursday New Year’s Day
January 28-30 Wed-Fri Lunar New Year
March 1 Sunday Independence Movement Day
May 5 Tuesday Children’s Day
May 25 Monday Buddha’s Birthday
June 6 Saturday Memorial Day
August 17 Monday Liberation Day (observed)
September 28-30 Mon-Wed Chuseok (Harvest Festival)
October 3 Friday National Foundation Day
October 9 Thursday Hangul Day
December 25 Friday Christmas

Key Notes for Traders

  • When a holiday falls on a weekend, the market may observe it on the nearest weekday
  • Lunar New Year and Chuseok are the longest holiday periods (2-4 days)
  • Trading volume is typically low in the days before major holidays
  • After long holidays, markets can be volatile as positions are adjusted

Planning Your Trades

Before holidays:

  • Reduce overnight positions if uncertain about direction
  • Be aware that foreign markets may move significantly while KRX is closed

After holidays:

  • First day back often shows gap up or gap down based on global markets
  • Higher volatility is common as accumulated orders are executed

Setting Up Alerts

Use these dates in your trading calendar or algorithmic trading system to automatically skip trading on holidays.