Korea stock market holidays 2026
Korea Exchange closures, trading days by month and option expiry dates in one table.
Weekday holidays17
Trading days244
Next holidayThu, Sep 24Chuseok holiday
Next option expiryThu, Oct 8
In 2026, the Korea Exchange (KOSPI and KOSDAQ) is closed on 17 weekdays in addition to weekends, leaving 244 trading days. The regular session runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Korea Standard Time (KST, UTC+9) — 8:00 PM EDT to 2:30 AM EDT in New York today — and since September 14, 2026 an exchange after-hours market runs from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. KST. The next market holiday is Thu, Sep 24 (Chuseok holiday), in 9 days.
KRX holidays 2026 weekdays only
| Date | Holiday | Days left |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 1 | New Year's Day | Past |
| Mon, Feb 16 | Lunar New Year holiday | Past |
| Tue, Feb 17 | Lunar New Year Day | Past |
| Wed, Feb 18 | Lunar New Year holiday | Past |
| Mon, Mar 2 | Independence Movement Day substitute holiday | Past |
| Fri, May 1 | Labor Day | Past |
| Tue, May 5 | Children's Day | Past |
| Mon, May 25 | Buddha's Birthday substitute holiday | Past |
| Wed, Jun 3 | Local elections | Past |
| Fri, Jul 17 | Constitution Day | Past |
| Mon, Aug 17 | Liberation Day substitute holiday | Past |
| Thu, Sep 24 | Chuseok holiday | 9 |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Chuseok | 10 |
| Mon, Oct 5 | National Foundation Day substitute holiday | 20 |
| Fri, Oct 9 | Hangul Day | 24 |
| Fri, Dec 25 | Christmas Day | 101 |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Year-end market closure | 107 |
Trading days and option expiry by month
| Month | Trading days | Holidays | Option expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Jan 1 New Year's Day | Thu, Jan 8 |
| Feb | 17 | Feb 16 Lunar New Year holiday, Feb 17 Lunar New Year Day, Feb 18 Lunar New Year holiday | Thu, Feb 12 |
| Mar | 21 | Mar 2 Independence Movement Day substitute holiday | Thu, Mar 12 quarterly |
| Apr | 22 | – | Thu, Apr 9 |
| May | 18 | May 1 Labor Day, May 5 Children's Day, May 25 Buddha's Birthday substitute holiday | Thu, May 14 |
| Jun | 21 | Jun 3 Local elections | Thu, Jun 11 quarterly |
| Jul | 22 | Jul 17 Constitution Day | Thu, Jul 9 |
| Aug | 20 | Aug 17 Liberation Day substitute holiday | Thu, Aug 13 |
| Sep | 20 | Sep 24 Chuseok holiday, Sep 25 Chuseok | Thu, Sep 10 quarterly |
| Oct | 20 | Oct 5 National Foundation Day substitute holiday, Oct 9 Hangul Day | Thu, Oct 8 |
| Nov | 21 | – | Thu, Nov 12 |
| Dec | 21 | Dec 25 Christmas Day, Dec 31 Year-end market closure | Thu, Dec 10 quarterly |
Option expiry is calculated as the second Thursday of each month, moved earlier if it is a holiday. Holidays follow Korea Exchange notices; ad hoc closures can be added, so confirm with KRX before trading.
Trading hours in your time zone
| Session (Seoul, KST) | New York | London | Singapore / Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nextrade pre-market 08:00–08:50 | Mon 7:00 PM – Mon 7:50 PM | Tue 00:00 – Tue 00:50 | Tue 7:00 AM – Tue 7:50 AM |
| Regular session (KOSPI, KOSDAQ) 09:00–15:30 | Mon 8:00 PM – Tue 2:30 AM | Tue 01:00 – Tue 07:30 | Tue 8:00 AM – Tue 2:30 PM |
| KRX after-hours market 16:00–20:00 | Tue 3:00 AM – Tue 7:00 AM | Tue 08:00 – Tue 12:00 | Tue 3:00 PM – Tue 7:00 PM |
Converted for today's date, including daylight saving time. Korean stocks listed in the US (ADRs) →
Korea stock market holidays 2026: FAQ
- How many market holidays does the Korea Exchange have in 2026?
- 17 weekdays besides weekends: Thu, Jan 1 (New Year's Day), Mon, Feb 16 (Lunar New Year holiday), Tue, Feb 17 (Lunar New Year Day), Wed, Feb 18 (Lunar New Year holiday), Mon, Mar 2 (Independence Movement Day substitute holiday), Fri, May 1 (Labor Day), Tue, May 5 (Children's Day), Mon, May 25 (Buddha's Birthday substitute holiday), Wed, Jun 3 (Local elections), Fri, Jul 17 (Constitution Day), Mon, Aug 17 (Liberation Day substitute holiday), Thu, Sep 24 (Chuseok holiday), Fri, Sep 25 (Chuseok), Mon, Oct 5 (National Foundation Day substitute holiday), Fri, Oct 9 (Hangul Day), Fri, Dec 25 (Christmas Day) and Thu, Dec 31 (Year-end market closure). Both KOSPI and KOSDAQ are closed on these days.
- Is the Korean stock market open during Chuseok 2026?
- No. The market is closed on Thu, Sep 24 and Fri, Sep 25. The last trading day before the holiday is Wed, Sep 23, and trading resumes on Mon, Sep 28.
- When is the Korean stock market closed for Lunar New Year 2026?
- On Mon, Feb 16, Tue, Feb 17 and Wed, Feb 18.
- When is the next KRX market holiday?
- Thu, Sep 24, 2026 (Chuseok holiday).
- What are the trading hours of the Korean stock market?
- The Korea Exchange regular session runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. KST (00:00 to 06:30 UTC; 8:00 PM EDT to 2:30 AM EDT in New York today), Monday to Friday except exchange holidays. Since September 14, 2026, an exchange after-hours market runs from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. KST, and the alternative venue Nextrade runs a pre-market from 8:00 to 8:50 a.m. KST. Opening times can change on special days, such as the first trading day of the year, so check Korea Exchange notices.
- When do Korean stock options expire?
- Monthly options expire on the second Thursday of each month, moved to the previous trading day if that Thursday is a holiday. March, June, September and December are quarterly expiries for both futures and options; in 2026 they fall on Thu, Mar 12, Thu, Jun 11, Thu, Sep 10 and Thu, Dec 10.
- What is the last trading day of 2026 in Korea?
- Wed, Dec 30. December 31 is a year-end market closure.