Public holidays · Asia · 2026
North Korea Holidays 2026: Public Holidays in North Korea
North Korea has 21 national public holidays in 2026. 13 of them fall on a weekday and 8 on a weekend. The next public holiday is Mother's Day on Monday, 16 November (in 20 days). There are 6 long weekends and 4 more if you take a bridge day off.
Next public holiday
Mother's Day
Monday, 16 November 2026 · 어머니날
North Korea public holidays 2026 — full list
| Date | Holiday | Local name | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 양력설 | Public holiday | |
| Weekend | Founding Day of the Korean People's Army | 조선인민군창건일 | Public holiday |
| Day of the Shining Star | 광명성절 | Public holiday | |
| Day of the Shining Star | 광명성절 | Public holiday | |
| Korean New Year | 설명절 | Public holiday | |
| Daeboreum | 대보름 | Public holiday | |
| Weekend | International Women's Day | 국제부녀절 | Public holiday |
| Weekend | Cheongmyeong Festival | 청명 | Public holiday |
| Day of the Sun | 태양절 | Public holiday | |
| Day of the Sun | 태양절 | Public holiday | |
| Weekend | Founding Day of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army | 조선인민혁명군 창건일 | Public holiday |
| International Workers' Day | 전세계근로자들의 국제적명절 | Public holiday | |
| Weekend | Foundation Day of the Korean Children's Union | 조선소년단 창립절 | Public holiday |
| Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War | 조국해방전쟁승리기념일 | Public holiday | |
| Weekend | Liberation Day | 조국해방절 | Public holiday |
| Day of Songun | 선군절 | Public holiday | |
| Youth Day | 청년절 | Public holiday | |
| Founding Day of the DPRK | 조선민주주의인민공화국창건일 | Public holiday | |
| Chuseok | 추석 | Public holiday | |
| Weekend | Foundation Day of the Workers' Party of Korea | 조선로동당창건일 | Public holiday |
| Mother's Day Next | 어머니날 | Public holiday | |
| Weekend | Socialist Constitution Day | 사회주의헌법절 | Public holiday |
Data: Nager.Date public holiday database and the vacanza/holidays library (both MIT licence). Dates of religious holidays based on the lunar calendar may shift by a day after official announcements.
North Korea holiday calendar 2026
- National holiday
- Regional holiday
- Bridge day (take off for a long weekend)
January 1
February 4
March 2
April 4
May 1
June 1
July 1
August 3
September 2
October 1
November 1
December 1
Long weekends in North Korea 2026
6 long weekends come for free, and 4 more need just one or two days of leave. Plan your trips around these dates.
Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan
Take off Fri 2 Jan
Sat 14 Feb – Tue 17 Feb
No leave needed
Sat 28 Feb – Tue 3 Mar
Take off Mon 2 Mar
Wed 15 Apr – Sun 19 Apr
Take off Fri 17 Apr
Fri 1 May – Sun 3 May
No leave needed
Sat 25 Jul – Mon 27 Jul
No leave needed
Sat 22 Aug – Tue 25 Aug
Take off Mon 24 Aug
Fri 28 Aug – Sun 30 Aug
No leave needed
Fri 25 Sep – Sun 27 Sep
No leave needed
Sat 14 Nov – Mon 16 Nov
No leave needed
Planning a trip to North Korea?
On public holidays banks, offices and many shops close, public transport often runs a Sunday timetable and popular destinations get busy and more expensive. Book early around long weekends.