Where can I find pediatric clinics open during the Chuseok holiday?

You can check for pediatric clinics open during the Chuseok holiday on the Emergency Medical Portal E-Gen. On E-Gen, you can search for nearby hospitals by setting the region and medical department to Pediatrics. However, please note that the consultation hours displayed on the website may change, so it is essential to call the hospital beforehand to confirm their actual operating hours before visiting.

When is it best to use a 'Moonlight Children's Hospital' if my child is sick during the Chuseok holiday, and where can I find information about them?

Moonlight Children's Hospitals are medical institutions that provide outpatient care for children with mild symptoms during weekday evenings or holidays. They are useful when a child is sick at a time when regular pediatric clinics are closed, but the condition is not severe enough to warrant an emergency room visit. You can find information about them on E-Gen. Since each hospital may have different consultation days and operating hours, it's advisable to reconfirm their actual operating status on the day of your visit before heading out.

What are clear emergency situations that require taking a child to the emergency room during the Chuseok holiday, and where can I find emergency room information?

If a child shows clear emergency symptoms such as difficulty breathing or decreased consciousness, you should immediately call 119 to receive emergency medical attention. Rather than simply judging an emergency based on a fever, you should comprehensively check the child's age, body temperature, state of consciousness, breathing, and presence of convulsions. You can find information about emergency rooms operating during the Chuseok holiday through the Emergency Medical Portal E-Gen, by calling 119, or the Ministry of Health and Welfare Call Center at 129.

Sick Child on Holiday in Korea? How to Find Care (2026)

Every parent knows the drill: your child seems perfectly fine until a weekend or holiday rolls around, and suddenly, they're running a fever or feeling unwell. Normally, you'd head to your trusted pediatrician. But what happens when you're in Korea, especially during major holidays like Chuseok, when clinics might be closed for several days? It can feel overwhelming, wondering if you need to rush to the emergency room or if there are pediatric clinics open. To help you prepare, we've put together a guide on how to find open pediatric clinics, understand the 'Moonlight Children's Hospital' system, and know when to seek emergency care during holidays in Korea.

1. Open Pediatric Clinics During Holidays

When your child needs medical attention during a Korean holiday, relying solely on typical online map services for clinic hours might not be accurate. The most reliable resource is the Emergency Medical Portal E-Gen. This official portal allows you to search for hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies operating during public holidays by region, date, and medical specialty.

Find Open Hospitals and Pharmacies on E-Gen

Here, you can select your region and then set the medical specialty to 'Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine' (소아청소년과) to find available clinics nearby. However, even if hours are listed on the website, actual operating times can change. E-Gen strongly advises that you always call ahead to confirm clinic hours before visiting. So, the process is: search online → check listed hours → call the clinic → then visit.

2. Moonlight Children's Hospital (Dalbit Children's Hospital)

Another essential resource if your child falls ill during a Korean holiday is the Moonlight Children's Hospital (달빛어린이병원).

These specialized medical institutions are designed to provide outpatient care for children with minor symptoms during weekday evenings and on holidays. They are incredibly useful when a regular pediatric clinic is closed, and your child isn't sick enough for an emergency room visit but still needs medical attention.

Check Moonlight Children's Hospitals

While these hospitals offer extended hours, it's important to remember that not all Moonlight Children's Hospitals operate with the same schedule, especially on major holidays. Each hospital may have different consultation days and operating hours, so it's always best to confirm their actual operating status on the day of your visit before heading out.

If your child suddenly develops a fever but shows no severe symptoms like impaired consciousness or difficulty breathing, it's advisable to check with a nearby pediatric clinic or a Moonlight Children's Hospital first, rather than rushing directly to a large hospital emergency room.

3. Emergency Rooms

So, when should you head to the emergency room if your child gets sick during a holiday in Korea?

Health authorities generally advise using nearby open clinics or hospitals for mild symptoms, even during holiday periods, to avoid overwhelming emergency services. However, if it's a genuine emergency, you should immediately call 119 for urgent medical care.

It's crucial not to determine an emergency solely based on a fever. Instead, you should assess your child's overall condition, considering their age, body temperature (in Fahrenheit), state of consciousness, breathing, presence of seizures, and hydration levels.

If there are clear emergency symptoms such as difficulty breathing or a decreased level of consciousness, prioritizing a call to 119 is essential rather than spending time searching for a hospital yourself. If your child is a regular patient at a university hospital, you can inform 119 of the situation and request a transfer to that specific hospital.

Finding an ER

You can also find operating emergency rooms during the holiday period through the E-Gen Emergency Medical Portal.

This portal is useful for locating not only open clinics and hospitals but also emergency medical institutions, making it a valuable resource when your child is ill during a holiday.

If you're in a situation where internet access is difficult, you can also get information on available medical facilities during the holiday by calling 119 (emergency services) or the Ministry of Health and Welfare Call Center at 129.

E-Gen itself advises that holiday on-duty hospitals, clinics, and emergency medical facilities can be confirmed via 119 or 129. Therefore, saving the E-Gen website to your phone or simply remembering 119 and 129 before the holiday is a smart move.

5. Conclusion

To summarize, if your child becomes ill during a holiday in Korea, here's what to remember:

Open Pediatric Clinics → E-Gen

After-hours/Holiday Pediatric Care → Moonlight Children's Hospital (달빛어린이병원)

Emergency Situation → Call 119

Medical Facility Information → Call 119 or 129

Open Pharmacies on Holiday → E-Gen

It's crucial to remember that individual hospital operating hours for the 2026 holiday period can vary significantly. Even if you've looked up a hospital in advance, a phone call on the day of your visit is absolutely essential to confirm their hours. While general search engines like Naver (or Google, for international travelers) can provide initial information, always make that final confirmation call.

When spending holidays with children, you never know when you might suddenly need to visit a doctor. Rather than frantically searching once the holiday begins, it's always a good idea to identify nearby open pediatric clinics, Moonlight Children's Hospitals, and your closest emergency room in advance.