What people around here are looking up this week (2026-09-25). Nothing is copied from the original pages — these are links to the official sources, so read the details there.
Chuseok holiday
Subway, convenience stores and big malls stay open. Government offices, banks and a lot of neighbourhood restaurants do not. Seoul is unusually quiet this week.
VISITKOREA - Imagine Your KoreaKorea Tourism Organization Official website provides various information on all things about Korea.english.visitkorea.or.krStart here for what is actually open. Palaces often waive admission on Chuseok day itself.
Seoul Global Center — support for foreign residentsThe city's portal for foreign residents, with free interpretation, legal and daily-life counselling.global.seoul.go.krIf you need a clinic or pharmacy that is open during the holiday, or urgent help in your language, check here first.
e-Arrival Card / K-ETA
Registered foreign residents are exempt from the e-Arrival Card. Check that you are still registered, though — if you handed your residence card back on the way out, the rules are different.
e-Arrival Card — electronic arrival declarationFile your arrival declaration online from three days before you land. It replaces the paper card.e-arrivalcard.go.krYou may be exempt, but family travelling with you on a short-term stay still has to file separately.
K-ETA application guide (Korea Immigration Service)How to apply for travel authorisation. The waiver for visa-free nationals runs to 31 December 2026.k-eta.go.krA lot of people only heard "it is waived" — check the country list once, because the waiver is not universal.
2026 visa overhaul
Plenty of summaries are going around and the conditions differ in every one of them. Whether any of it applies to your own status is something to confirm at the source.
Korea Immigration ServiceWhere changes to residence status and immigration policy are announced first.immigration.go.krThe press releases here are the primary text. Read them before the summaries.
HiKorea — immigration civil applicationsExtend your stay, change your status or apply for re-entry permission, and book an office visit.hikorea.go.krBook it here yourself rather than through an agency. Slots open early in the morning.
TOPIK 2026 schedule
Registration opens right after the holiday. IBT results come back in about three weeks, which helps if you have a paperwork deadline.
TOPIK — official test siteSchedules, registration and results. Overseas centres follow their local administering body.topik.go.krThe official notice is the one that counts. Registration can close within hours, so set a reminder.
Korean Basic Dictionary (National Institute of Korean Language)A free learner's dictionary with definitions and examples in more than ten languages.krdict.korean.go.krMore reliable than a translation app while you study, and the example sentences read like test Korean.
Rules and dates change often. This post only points you to the official desks — how any of it applies to your own status is something to confirm there.
What have you been putting off until after the holiday?
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