2027 Liberation Day

Liberation Day, Gwangbokjeol, on August 15 marks Korea's liberation from Japanese rule at the end of the Second World War in 1945 and, on the same date in 1948, the founding of the government of the Republic of Korea; it is one of the country's five national celebration days. The government holds an official ceremony at which independence patriots and their descendants receive state honours, and Korean flags are flown at homes and along streets nationwide. Special exhibitions and hands-on programmes run at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan and the Seodaemun Prison History Hall in Seoul, and presidential special pardons are often announced around the holiday. It is a public holiday, and a substitute day off is designated when it falls on a weekend, which makes mid-August a popular time for short domestic trips during the summer peak. Coastal resorts and trains are busy, so book ahead. This countdown ticks to midnight Korea Standard Time on August 15.