Chuseok 2026 falls on Friday, September 25. The official holiday block is Thursday, September 24, through Saturday, September 26. Sunday, September 27, is a normal weekend day, so many office workers get four days in a row. Monday, September 28, is a regular workday — no substitute holiday this year.
This guide is about what tends to open or close in Seoul over those days — not a pop-up roundup. Hours and free-entry details still move branch by branch. Check before you visit.
Quick open / closed map
| Sept 24 (Thu) | Sept 25 (Fri · Chuseok) | Sept 26 (Sat) | |
| Subway & city buses | Run | Run | Run |
| Convenience stores | Usually 24h | Usually 24h | Usually 24h |
| Royal palaces & Jongmyo | Open | Open | Open |
| National Museum of Korea | Open | Closed | Open |
| Banks / post / government offices | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Independent restaurants & markets | Many closed | Most closed | Many closed |
| Department stores | Branch-by-branch | Branch-by-branch | Branch-by-branch |
What stays useful
Transit inside Seoul. Subway and city buses keep running. Midday trains are often quieter than a normal weekday. Seoul sometimes publishes extended last-train notices closer to the holiday — check Seoul Metropolitan Government / TOPIS nearer the date rather than last year’s times.
Leaving the city. Highways and KTX get the worst of the year. The Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Sept. 1 “Chuseok livelihood” package includes toll-free expressways Sept. 24–27. Book intercity seats early, or keep the holiday as a Seoul-only stretch.
Palaces. Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and Jongmyo do not sit on their usual Monday/Tuesday closed days during this Thu–Sat block, so they stay open through the holiday. The same government package lists free entry to major national heritage sites (four palaces, Jongmyo, Joseon royal tombs) over the holiday window. Changdeokgung’s Secret Garden (Huwon) and other timed special tours are often excluded — confirm on royal.khs.go.kr before you go.
National Museum of Korea. Permanent galleries are free year-round. The museum is closed on Chuseok day, Friday, September 25. Regular hours on the official site: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Wed/Sat late to 9:00 p.m.; last entry 30 minutes before close. Saturday, September 26, is a late day.
MMCA Seoul. Guides tied to the livelihood package list fee waivers for some national museums, but Seoul branch policy still treats New Year’s Day, Seollal, and Chuseok as closed days. Plan MMCA Seoul for Sept. 24, 26, or 27 and recheck mmca.go.kr.
What gets hard
Food. Owner-run restaurants and neighborhood shops often close longer than the three official days. Franchise chains, hotel restaurants, mall food courts, convenience stores, and tourist streets like Myeongdong are the safer bets. Confirm any specific place on Naver Map the day before.
Shopping. Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai usually shut some branches for about two days around Chuseok, but the pattern differs by store. Do not assume a mall food hall matches the department-store calendar next door — check the branch page.
Banks and clinics. Banks, post offices, and most government counters are closed all three holiday days. Emergency rooms keep running. For holiday pharmacy help, Korea Tourism Organization’s 1330 hotline (24h, English available) can point you to live options.
If you only remember one day
Friday, September 25, is the tight day: museums like the National Museum and MMCA Seoul closed, many small kitchens shut, palaces still open. Thursday and Saturday feel closer to a normal holiday weekend. Confirm anything essential the day before — official notices can still shift.