Children’s Day Korea // Everything You Need To Know

The Complete Guide to Children’s Day in South Korea

Children’s Day in South Korea

Children’s Day or 어린이날 [eorininal] in Korean is a day to honour and celebrate children in South Korea.

It is celebrated every year on the 5th May.

This Holiday was founded by Bang Jeong-Hwan (방정환) a children’s writer in 1923 when he wrote an “Open Letter to Adults”.

In this letter, he proclaims that “children are the future of our nation” and he wants to in-still 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

To learn more about Korean Holidays, check out our dedicated page!

An Introduction to Public Holidays in South Korea Thumbnail

An Introduction to Public Holidays in South Korea

There are 11 public holidays in South Korea. Chuseok, Seollal, Children’s Day… Find out what these days are all about and celebrate with friends.

Children’s Day Korea | Activities

Children's Day in South Korea

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.

Picnics

Children's Day in South Korea - 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

Children’s Day in South Korea - 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 got 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.

Buddha’s Birthday in South Korea // The Complete Guide Thumbnail

Buddha’s Birthday in South Korea // The Complete Guide

Buddha’s Birthday in South Korea is a public holiday. Koreans go to temples and hang lanterns. Check out this article to find out more.

Zoos

Children’s Day in South Korea - 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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170+ Animals in Korean 🐙 The Ultimate Guide for All The Animals!

From Cat to Butterfly, Koala, Crocodile and Sparrow, find out the names of 170+ animals in Korean in this fantastic vocabulary guide. PLUS flashcards!

If you want to see what people can do on this important day, watch this video👇 .

Here is a video of Children’s Day during the pandemic.

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 translationTransliteration
Children’s Day어린이날 eorininal
Public holiday공휴일gonghyuil
Children어린이들eolin-ideul
Child아이 ai
May 5th오월 오일owol oil
Event행사 haengsa
Gift선물seonmul
Toy장난감 jangnangam
Public activities공공 활동gong-gong hwaldong
Special animations for the Children’s Day어린이날 특선 만화 eorininal teukseon manhwa
Museum박물관bagmulgwan
Amusement park놀이 공원nol-i gong-won
Zoo동물원dongmul-won
Parades 퍼레이드peoleideu
Movie theatres영화관yeonghwagwan
Beach해변haebyeon
Traditional games전통놀이jeontongnol-i
Taekwondo태권도taegwondo
Picnics소풍sopung
Food음식eumsig
Happiness행복 haengbok

Children’s Day Korea | Dates

As you can see below, Children’s Day is always held on May 5th.

YearsDateDayHoliday
2022May 5thThursdayChildren’s Day
2023May 5th FridayChildren’s Day
2024May 5th SundayChildren’s Day
2025May 5th MondayChildren’s Day
2026May 5th TuesdayChildren’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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