Yes, Christmas is celebrated in Korea, especially in South Korea, but it feels a bit different from Western family-style Christmas.

Is Christmas a holiday in Korea?

  • In South Korea, December 25 is an official public holiday, so most workers and students get the day off.
  • South Korea is one of the only East Asian countries where Christmas is a national holiday.
  • In North Korea, Christmas is not publicly celebrated; the state promotes its own political anniversaries instead.

How people celebrate in South Korea

  • Many streets, malls, and major areas in cities like Seoul and Busan are covered in big light displays, trees, and decorations in December.
  • People often go out to eat, shop, visit light festivals, or attend special events rather than stay home for a big family gathering.
  • Christmas cakes from bakeries and dessert shops are very popular gifts and table centerpieces.

Christmas as “couple’s day”

  • Modern Christmas in Korea is often compared to Valentine’s Day, with a strong focus on romantic dates.
  • Young couples commonly exchange small gifts, book nice dinners or hotel packages, and take photos at illuminated spots.
  • Friends and families also gather, but the romantic side is more emphasized than in many Western countries.

Religious side of Christmas

  • Around 20–30% of South Koreans identify as Christian, so churches hold services, concerts, and charity events on or around Christmas.
  • Church buildings are often decorated with lights, and many have visible crosses that fit into the Christmas night skyline.
  • For practicing Christians, the day is treated more as Christ’s birthday and a religious holiday than a commercial event.

Home traditions and decorations

  • Public spaces are heavily decorated, but many regular homes have fewer decorations than in Western countries.
  • Some families put up small trees or lights, and this trend is slowly growing, especially among younger families.
  • Gift-giving is generally simpler and less focused on big piles of presents under a tree.

TL;DR:
They do celebrate Christmas in Korea, mainly in South Korea, where it is a national holiday with lots of city lights, date nights, and some church services, but it feels more like a mix of romantic holiday and light festival than the big family-centered Christmas that many Western countries are used to.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.