Guides / When is Parents' Day in Korea?
When is Parents' Day in Korea?
South Korea honours mother and father together on Parents' Day, known as Eobeoinal, on 8 May every year. The next one is 8 May 2027, and here is a way to make it count.
In much of the world, mothers and fathers each get their own day. South Korea does something different, and rather lovely: it honours both parents together on a single day, called Eobeoinal, or Parents' Day. It falls on 8 May every year. Last checked: August 2026.
When is Parents' Day in Korea?
Parents' Day is fixed to 8 May every year, so it does not drift the way days tied to a particular Sunday do. Because the date is fixed, it lands on a different weekday each year. The next one is Saturday 8 May 2027. Children traditionally pin a red carnation on their parents and offer their thanks.
See every family date together on our key family dates page.
The next few years
| Year | Parents' Day (South Korea) |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday 8 May 2026 |
| 2027 | Saturday 8 May 2027 |
| 2028 | Monday 8 May 2028 |
| 2029 | Tuesday 8 May 2029 |
| 2030 | Wednesday 8 May 2030 |
| 2031 | Thursday 8 May 2031 |
Where Parents' Day comes from
In 1956 the South Korean State Council designated 8 May as Mother's Day. In 1973, under a Presidential Decree, it was broadened and renamed Parents' Day, so that both mother and father would be honoured together. The change reflected the Confucian value of filial respect, the deep importance placed on honouring one's parents. May in Korea is Family Month, holding Children's Day on the fifth and Parents' Day on the eighth, so the whole month leans towards family.
The idea at the heart of Parents' Day, that mother and father belong together in one act of thanks, travels well. Wherever you are, it is a gentle prompt to do the thing most of us mean to do and rarely get round to: ask our parents about their lives while we still can.
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A gift that honours both of them
A carnation is a beautiful gesture, but it fades within the week. What does not fade is a parent's own account of their life: where the family came from, the choices they made, the people they loved, the advice they would want you to keep. Too often those stories are told once and then lost.
This is the whole reason we built HeartTold. One of our friendly, patient agents calls your mother or father each week, asks about their life in questions they love to answer, and keeps their replies in their own voice inside a private family archive that grows a little every week. There is no app for them to learn, just a phone call. Everything stays private, and is never used to train AI models.
The carnation fades by the weekend. Their voice, telling you their story, is kept for good.
If Parents' Day is a good moment to begin, you can give HeartTold as a gift or start one for your family today.
Related guides: questions to ask your parents, questions to ask your mum, and questions to ask your dad.
Keep their stories, in their own voice
HeartTold turns a weekly phone call into a living family memory vault: their voice, their memories, their photos, kept for the people who love them.
Common questions
When is Parents' Day in Korea?
Parents' Day in South Korea, known as Eobeoinal, is 8 May every year. It is a fixed date that does not move, so it falls on a different weekday each year.
What is the difference between Parents' Day and Mother's Day?
South Korea honours both parents together on a single Parents' Day rather than a separate Mother's Day and Father's Day. Children traditionally give red carnations and express their gratitude to both mother and father on 8 May.
How can I honour my parents on Parents' Day?
One lasting way is to keep their stories in their own voice. One of our friendly, patient agents calls your parent each week, asks warm questions about their life, and keeps their answers safely for the whole family, and you can set it up in minutes.
Our Call Agents are trained AI models, and we have been using them with our own families. Friendly, patient, and private: your family's stories are never used to train other AI models.