Children’s Day Korea // Everything You Need To Know
The Complete Guide to Children’s Day in South Korea
Children’s Day in Korea is a day to honour and celebrate children in South Korea.
It is celebrated every year on the 5th May.
👉In Korean, it’s known as 어린이날 [eorininal].
In this letter, he proclaims that “children are the future of our nation” and he wants to instil children with a sense of independence and national pride.
DID YOU KNOW | In South Korea, public holidays are also known as ‘Red Days’ because this is how they are coloured in printed calendars.
Children’s Day Korea || Holidays Activities
Children’s Day Korea || Important Vocabulary
Children’s Day Korea || Dates
Children’s Day Korea || FAQs
Children’s Day Korea | Activities
Children’s Day is one of the most popular holidays among South Korean children.
This holiday grants a day off for everybody in South Korea, so it’s a great opportunity for parents to spend time with their children.
Children’s Day falls in May, which is an excellent time of year for outdoor activities as the weather is warm but not too hot or humid.
Children receive gifts and their parents take them for a walk somewhere special and buy them food.
Traditionally gifts usually include simple toys, but today, most of the children ask for an iPad or other expensive items!
The trendy places to visit that day are zoos, museums, amusement parks and beaches etc.
There are also many outdoor activities such as parades, picnics, baseball games, mountain hiking and even taekwondo demonstrations which are often part of Children’s Day activities.
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Picnics
Having a picnic is one of the most popular activities during Children’s Day.
A lot of families go to the parks along the Han River to have a picnic 소풍 (sopung).
People will put out a small tent to rest and enjoy snacks while children fly kites, play games or ride bikes.
Don’t even bother to prepare the food.
There are plenty of convenience stores along the river to buy snacks. Sometimes people also get food delivered.
Amusement Parks
Another famous activity on Children’s Day is going to an amusement park 놀이공원 (noligongwon).
The most popular amusement parks in Korea are Lotte World and Everland.
Lotte World is located near Jamsil subway station in Seoul. Half of the amusement park is indoors, making it an excellent option if the weather is bad.
Lotte World also has an indoor ice rink next to a large mall and a department store. This amusement park is near Seoul Zoo.
Everland is located in Yongin, which is close to Seoul. Everland has a zoo, a safari park, and numerous rides and rollercoasters.
Outdoor Activities
There are a lot of events organised especially for Children’s Day.
Some parents take their children to see the parade and play traditional games.
Other families just go to a park where the kids can have a lot of fun with other kids. There are also areas with inflatable games.
Many people go to the beach and make sandcastles.
As we mentioned earlier, there are taekwondo demonstrations.
For people who don’t know, taekwondo is a form of self-defence that originated in Korea. Unlike karate which focuses more on the details of the movements, taekwondo is a full-speed combat sport, similar to boxing.
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Zoos
Last but not least, a trip to the zoo 동물원 (dongmulwon) is a famous Children’s Day activity in Korea.
Zoos can be found in a number of South Korean cities.
For example, Seoul has two zoos: the main zoo at Seoul Grand Park 대공원 (Daegongwon) and a smaller zoo at Children’s Grand Park 어린이대공원 (Eorinidaegongwon) near Konkuk University.
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If you want to see what people can do on this important day, watch this video👇 .
Even though Children’s Day is a day when parents want to take their children somewhere special, many families stay home, chill and watch TV.
There is always special animation/cartoons for children on this day.
Children’s Day Korea | Vocabulary List
Here is a complete vocabulary list for everything to do with Children’s Day in South Korea.
| English | Korean translation | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Children’s Day | 어린이날 | eorininal |
| Public holiday | 공휴일 | gonghyuil |
| Children | 어린이들 | eolin-ideul |
| Child | 아이 | ai |
| May 5th | 오월 오일 | owol oil |
| Event | 행사 | haengsa |
| Gift | 선물 | seonmul |
| Toy | 장난감 | jangnangam |
| Public activities | 공공 활동 | gong-gong hwaldong |
| Special animations for the Children’s Day | 어린이날 특선 만화 | eorininal teukseon manhwa |
| Museum | 박물관 | bagmulgwan |
| Amusement park | 놀이 공원 | nol-i gong-won |
| Zoo | 동물원 | dongmul-won |
| Parades | 퍼레이드 | peoleideu |
| Movie theatres | 영화관 | yeonghwagwan |
| Beach | 해변 | haebyeon |
| Traditional games | 전통놀이 | jeontongnol-i |
| Taekwondo | 태권도 | taegwondo |
| Picnics | 소풍 | sopung |
| Food | 음식 | eumsig |
| Happiness | 행복 | haengbok |
Children’s Day Korea | Dates
As you can see below, Children’s Day is always held on May 5th.
| Years | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | May 5th | Sunday | Children’s Day |
| 2025 | May 5th | Monday | Children’s Day |
| 2026 | May 5th | Tuesday | Children’s Day |
Originally, this day was celebrated on May 1st, but as it fell on the same day as Labor Day, it was moved to May 5th. It became an official public holiday in 1975.
This is the end of our introduction to Children’s Day in South Korea.
LTL Language School wishes all the children a very happy Children’s Day 🥳🎉!
How do you celebrate Children’s Day in your country? Tell us in the comments below!
Check out more Korean holidays:
Children’s Day in South Korea || FAQs
How to say ‘Children’s Day’ in Korean?
Children’s Day in Korean is 어린이날 (eorininal).
어린이 eorini means ‘children’ and 날 nal ‘day’.
When is Children’s Day celebrated in Korea?
Children’s Day in Korea is celebrated on May 5th.
It was originally on May 1st, but it was also the Labor Day, so it was moved to May 5th.
What do people do during Children’s Day in South Korea?
Children’s Day is a great opportunity for parents to spend time with their children.
Children’s Day falls in May, which is an excellent time of year for outdoor activities as the weather is warm but not too hot or humid.
Children receive gifts and their parents take them for a walk somewhere special and buy them food.
Families go to zoos, museums, amusement parks and beaches
There are also many outdoor activities such as parades, picnics, baseball, mountain hiking and even taekwondo demonstrations, which are often part of the Children’s Day activities.
How to say ‘Public Holiday’ in Korean?
Public Holiday in Korean is 공휴일 (gonghyuil).
When did Children’s Day become a public holiday?
Children’s Day became an official public holiday in 1975.
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