Chuseok: Everything you need to know about the South Korean harvest festival
One of the most important holidays in the calendar, Chuseok is a great time to visit the country
South Korea is celebrating one of its most important holidays this week: Chuseok.
Festivals and events are held across the country for the occasion, and many Koreans travel to their hometowns to celebrate with their family, and to pay their respects to their ancestors.
Curious to learn more about Chuseok? Here’s everything you need to know…
When is Chuseok?
Chuseok, which means ‘autumn evening’ in Korean, is held annually on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunisolar calendar, coinciding with the full moon.
Alongside the day of Chuseok, the day before and after are also part of the public holiday. This year, Chuseok falls on Monday 6 October, so the public holiday will last until Wednesday 8 October as there are always three days off to celebrate.
In 2026, Chuseok will be on Friday 25 September, and in 2027, it will fall on Wednesday 15 September.
How is Chuseok celebrated?
Korean culture is on full display during Chuseok, with events in major cities featuring traditional folk games and crafts. In Seoul, travellers should head to Namsangol Hanok Village, while in Busan there will be activities at both Jeonggwan Museum and the National Gugak Center.
Popular folk games including ganggangsullae, a circle dance where women in hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) join hands and sing together, as well as jegichagi, a game where players kick a shuttlecock made from a coin wrapped in paper to keep it from touching the ground.
Two key parts of Chuseok involve paying respect to ancestors – charye, or ancestor memorial services, and seongmyo, or visits to family graves. The former is performed either at the family shrine or home, with foods such as songpyeon (a type of rice cake) prepared as an offering for the past four generations. The latter will see families clean or tidy up around graves for chuseok, too.
What to know about travelling in South Korea on Chuseok
As many Koreans will travel to their hometowns during the holidays, expect inter-city transportation to be a lot busier. If you do need to travel, make sure you book your tickets in advance.
Some shops, restaurants and attractions may close for chuseok, so be sure to book a table and double check before heading out.
On the plus side, many attractions are free to visit during the holidays, including the royal palaces in Seoul, Jongmyo Shrine, the Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, and all 45 national recreational forests.
