A 100-Year Cultural Struggle to Protect Seollal
If you’ve ever wondered why South Koreans seem to “celebrate New Year twice” every year, the answer is far deeper than good luck or extra holidays.
South Korea’s two New Years—Solar New Year (Sinjeong, January 1) and Lunar New Year (Seollal)—are the result of nearly a century of cultural resistance, political pressure, and a determined fight to preserve tradition.
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| Why Does South Korea Celebrate New Year Twice? |
Today, South Korea is one of the few countries in the world that officially recognizes both New Year’s Day and Lunar New Year, granting national holidays for each. But this balance did not come easily. For decades, Seollal was discouraged, erased from official calendars, and even treated as something shameful.
This is the dramatic story behind how Korea fought to protect its most important traditional holiday.
Two New Years, Two Completely Different Worlds
Before diving into history, it’s important to understand how different these two New Year celebrations are in modern Korea.
Solar New Year (January 1): Modern and Individual
Solar New Year in South Korea reflects a modern, global lifestyle.
On New Year’s Eve, thousands gather in central Seoul to witness the 33 bell tolls at Bosingak Pavilion, broadcast nationwide. Young people celebrate with parties, countdown events, and social media posts.
In coastal cities like Gangneung or on Hallasan Mountain in Jeju, people wake up before dawn to watch the first sunrise of the year, symbolizing hope, renewal, and fresh beginnings.
This New Year is personal—about resolutions, goals, and moving forward.
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| New Year's Eve Celebration at Bosingak Pavilion |
Seollal (Lunar New Year): Family, Roots, and Ancestors
When Seollal arrives, everything changes.
It becomes the largest annual migration in South Korea, as millions leave cities to return to their hometowns. Highways are gridlocked, train stations overflow, and travel tickets sell out weeks in advance.
At home, families prepare charye (차례)—a traditional ancestral memorial table. Younger family members perform sebae (세배), a deep bow to elders, and receive blessings and money in return.
No Seollal table is complete without tteokguk (떡국), rice cake soup. Traditionally, eating it means you officially grow one year older.
If January 1 is about the future, Seollal is about remembering who you are and where you came from.
But why did Korea ever try to separate these two worlds?
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| Traditional New Year celebration (Seollal) |
1896: King Gojong and the Western Calendar
The story begins in 1896, when King Gojong officially adopted the Gregorian calendar, recognizing January 1 as the start of the new year.
This decision was not meant to erase Seollal. Instead, it was part of a broader effort to modernize Korea and align with Western nations. However, the government underestimated one thing—the deep emotional and spiritual connection Koreans had to the lunar calendar.
Despite the official change, most people continued to celebrate Seollal quietly, treating it as the “real” New Year.
Japanese Colonial Rule: When Seollal Became a Crime
Everything changed after Japan colonized Korea in 1910.
By the 1930s, the Japanese colonial government actively attempted to eliminate Seollal as part of a cultural assimilation policy. Traditional rituals were banned. Ancestral ceremonies were prohibited. Making rice cakes and traditional alcohol during Lunar New Year was restricted.
Seollal was reduced to a forbidden act—a symbol of resistance rather than celebration.
Many families secretly performed ancestral rites late at night, fearful of punishment. What had once been a joyful holiday became a quiet act of cultural defiance.
After Liberation: A New Government, Old Pressure
Korea regained independence in 1945, and many expected Seollal to be fully restored. Instead, disappointment followed.
President Syngman Rhee, a strong advocate of Western modernization and a devout Christian, viewed Seollal as outdated. In 1949, his government released an official holiday list that excluded Seollal, while recognizing Christmas—even though Christians made up only about 2% of the population at the time.
Media outlets echoed this sentiment. Some newspapers even labeled Lunar New Year celebrations as “shameful for a civilized nation.”
The government went further by restricting food markets and milling facilities during Seollal to prevent traditional preparations.
The Park Chung-hee Era: Suppression at Its Peak
Under President Park Chung-hee (1961–1979), suppression intensified.
Train services were reduced during Seollal to stop people from traveling home. Companies allowing employees time off faced penalties. Schools remained open, and students absent on Lunar New Year could be punished. Even movie theaters were banned from advertising Seollal events.
The justification was economic. The government feared that extended holidays would disrupt industrial growth.
But tradition proved stronger than policy.
Silent Resistance by the People
Despite decades of pressure, Koreans never stopped celebrating Seollal.
Factory workers took sick leave. Entire plants shut down unofficially. Families gathered quietly before or after work. Villages continued ancestral rites as if no bans existed.
A 1985 national survey revealed that over 80% of Koreans still celebrated Lunar New Year.
The message was clear: Seollal was impossible to erase.
1985–1989: The Return of Seollal
In 1985, the government officially recognized Seollal—but cautiously, renaming it “Folk Customs Day.”
True victory came in 1989, after democratization. Seollal was fully restored under its rightful name and granted a three-day national holiday, just as it is today.
For many Koreans, this was not just about time off—it was a restoration of cultural dignity.
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| The return of Seollal in 1989 |
Today: Tradition and Modern Life in Harmony
Modern South Korea no longer forces a choice between tradition and progress.
January 1 represents personal renewal and global culture.
Seollal represents family, ancestry, and identity.
Together, they form a rhythm unique to Korean society—proof that modernization does not require abandoning tradition.
When you see millions of Koreans traveling home every Seollal despite traffic jams and high ticket prices, you’re witnessing nearly a century of cultural resilience in action.
Final Thoughts: Why Seollal Still Matters
Nearly 100 years of political pressure failed to erase Lunar New Year from Korean life. Seollal survived because it lives not on calendars, but in families, rituals, and collective memory.
South Korea’s two New Years are not a contradiction—they are a powerful example of how tradition and modernity can coexist without canceling each other out.
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