How many days does the Seollal holiday typically last in South Korea?

The Seollal holiday typically lasts three days in South Korea.

The official holiday period generally covers the day before Seollal, Seollal itself, and the day after it. Because Seollal follows the Korean lunisolar calendar, its Gregorian date changes each year, usually falling between late January and February. When a weekend or public-holiday arrangement creates a substitute holiday, the practical break can sometimes be longer.

Seollal is the first day of the Korean lunisolar year and one of Korea’s most important traditional festivals. Many people travel to visit relatives, making it one of the country’s major annual migration periods. Families may perform charye, an ancestral memorial rite, wear hanbok, share traditional foods, and play games such as yutnori.

The three-day answer refers to the standard statutory holiday, not necessarily the total number of days someone takes off work or school. Extended breaks can occur when employers, schools, or government substitute-holiday rules add days. Seollal is therefore longer than a one-day observance, but “seven days” and “five days” are not the typical official duration.