2026 National Foundation Day Substitute Holiday: Oct 5

In 2026, National Foundation Day falls on Saturday, October 3, so Monday, October 5 is a substitute public holiday. As a rule, government offices and workplaces with at least 5 regular employees must treat it as a paid holiday. Whether it applies to smaller workplaces should be checked through Ministry of Employment and Labor guidance and the employment contract and rules of employment.

As of September 2026

Date of the 2026 National Foundation Day Substitute Public Holiday

The 2026 National Foundation Day substitute public holiday is Monday, October 5. National Foundation Day itself falls on Saturday, October 3. The following day, October 4, is also a Sunday. Accordingly, Monday, the first non-holiday, becomes the substitute public holiday.

The Monday substitute public holiday does not disappear simply because Saturday was already a day off. A Saturday off and a statutory substitute public holiday are different in nature. Workplaces operating from Monday through Friday apply the same date.

Basis for a Substitute Public Holiday When National Foundation Day Falls on Saturday

National Foundation Day is a national holiday for which a substitute public holiday applies when it overlaps with a Saturday or Sunday. The basis is Article 3 of the 「Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices」. The exact wording can be checked in the relevant regulations on the Korean Law Information Center.

A substitute public holiday applies on the first non-holiday following the overlapping public holiday. In 2026, October 4 is a Sunday. Therefore, October 5 is the first non-holiday.

These regulations first establish public holidays for government offices. Their application to private workplaces is linked through Article 55 of the 「Labor Standards Act」 and its Enforcement Decree. Both regulations must be reviewed together to determine whether a workplace is closed.

Why Not Every Public Holiday Has a Substitute Public Holiday

Substitute public holidays arise only for public holidays specified by Presidential Decree. The following Monday does not automatically become a holiday merely because the original date is a public holiday. Both the overlapping day of the week and the type of public holiday must satisfy the applicable requirements.

Armed Forces Day is also not automatically a public holiday every year. Designation as a temporary public holiday requires a separate decision each year. Whether workplaces will be closed in 2026 should not be determined solely from past designations.

Differences Between Government Offices and Private Workplaces

Government offices observe October 5 as a holiday under the public holiday regulations. For private workplaces, the number of regular employees is the key criterion. As a rule, it is a paid holiday for workplaces with at least 5 regular employees.

The number of regular employees is not the same as the number of people reporting to work that day. It is determined based on the number of employees during the statutory calculation period. Whether the head office and branches are independent workplaces may also affect the determination.

Workplaces with fewer than 5 employees may also provide the day off with pay. This is because the employment contract or rules of employment may designate public holidays as days off. An established company practice of repeatedly providing paid holidays may also need to be reviewed.

Wage Treatment for Monthly and Hourly Employees

Wage calculations differ depending on whether an employee takes the day off or reports to work. As a rule, a monthly salary should not be reduced merely because the employee takes the day off. For hourly and daily employees, pay for the paid holiday may be calculated separately.

A monthly salaried employee’s salary generally includes pay for paid holidays. The calculation method and premium rate for holiday work allowances should be checked under the 「Labor Standards Act」 and Ministry of Employment and Labor guidance. The wage statement should separately specify holiday work hours and allowances.

Hourly employees should first check whether they meet the paid-holiday requirements. The wage calculation method for work performed on a paid holiday should be checked under the 「Labor Standards Act」 and Ministry of Employment and Labor guidance. The specific total varies according to the ordinary hourly wage and hours worked.

Calculation Examples

If the ordinary hourly wage is represented by W, the calculation structure can be reviewed without using an actual monetary amount. The examples below assume a workplace with at least 5 regular employees. They also assume that October 5 was originally an 8-hour working day.

The 20W in the hourly employee example is not a fixed amount for every employee. The same structure applies only if October 5 is a prescribed working day. If a collective agreement provides more favorable standards, those standards apply.

Use of Annual Leave and Conditions for Substituting Another Working Day

A company cannot unilaterally replace a statutory paid holiday with an employee’s annual leave. A public holiday is inherently a day on which there is no duty to work. Whether a workplace may automatically deduct annual leave should be checked through Ministry of Employment and Labor guidance and the rules of employment.

A written agreement with the employee representative is required to exchange the holiday for another working day. The requirements for an employee representative should be checked under the 「Labor Standards Act」 and Ministry of Employment and Labor guidance. Simple consent from individual employees may not satisfy the requirements.

Holiday substitution should be checked in the following order.

1. Check whether there is a labor union representing a majority of employees or an employee representative.
2. Check whether there is a written agreement on holiday substitution.
3. Specifically designate the working day and holiday to be substituted.
4. Notify employees of the changed working day and holiday.

If the substitution is validly implemented, October 5 becomes a regular working day. Instead, the other designated date becomes a paid holiday. In that case, working on October 5 alone may not result in holiday work allowances.

The compensatory leave system is different from holiday substitution. Compensatory leave converts allowances already incurred for overtime, night, or holiday work into paid leave. A written agreement with the employee representative is also required in this case.

Summary by Condition

The outcome for October 5 varies depending on workplace size and the work schedule. The fact that it appears as a red day on the calendar does not mean that wage treatment will also be the same. The following conditions should be checked in order.

• Check whether it is a government office or a private workplace.
• For a private workplace, check whether it has at least 5 regular employees.
• Check whether October 5 was originally a prescribed working day.
• Check whether there is a written holiday substitution agreement with the employee representative.
• Check whether the actual working hours exceeded 8 hours.
• Check whether the collective agreement or rules of employment contain more favorable provisions.

Internal rules that are more favorable than statutory standards may remain in effect. Conversely, if internal rules are less favorable than statutory standards, the statutory standards take precedence. The scope of ordinary wages also affects wage calculations.

Borderline Cases That Vary by Work Schedule

Shift workers do not receive an additional holiday merely because the date falls on a Monday. If October 5 was originally a scheduled day off, a separate holiday may not arise automatically. Whether it is a prescribed working day under the work schedule is the starting point for determining wages.

Cases in which the weekly holiday and substitute public holiday fall on the same date also require caution. When holidays overlap on the same date, another day is not automatically created. Whether a collective agreement guarantees an additional holiday should be checked separately.

If night work continues past midnight, the hours must be divided by time period. The hours actually worked on October 5 are subject to the holiday work calculation. If night work overlaps, the night work premium should also be reviewed.

Common Mistakes

The most common misunderstanding is assuming that whenever a public holiday falls on Saturday, the following Monday is always a day off. Some public holidays are not eligible for substitute public holidays. The type of public holiday must be checked first.

• Calculating the threshold of at least 5 employees based on the number reporting to work that day.
• Adding a separate day’s wage for a monthly salaried employee who takes the day off.
• Omitting paid-holiday pay for an hourly employee.
• Automatically deducting a substitute public holiday from an employee’s annual leave.
• Assuming that an internal company notice alone establishes a holiday substitution.
• Treating temporary public holidays and substitute public holidays as the same system.

Holiday substitution and compensatory leave are also frequently confused. Holiday substitution changes the date of the holiday before the work is performed. Compensatory leave converts premium wages that have already accrued into leave.

Records to Check

To prevent disputes, the basis for application should be confirmed in documents. A company calendar alone cannot determine every aspect of whether the day is paid. Wage statements and work schedules should be reviewed together.

• Provisions on working days and holidays in the employment contract
• Public holiday provisions in the rules of employment
• Holiday and premium allowance provisions in the collective agreement
• Work schedule for October 2026
• Written agreement concluded with the employee representative
• October wage statement and attendance records

The original text of the laws and regulations can be checked on the Korean Law Information Center. Article 3 of the 「Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices」 is the standard for determining the substitute public holiday date. The criteria for application to private workplaces should be checked in the 「Labor Standards Act」 and its Enforcement Decree on the Korean Law Information Center.