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Korean Climate and Weather
Korea, as you will hear over and over again during your sojourn in South Korea, has four seasons. Why, you may ask, do Koreans insist on telling you about the virtues of their four seasons, when chances are your country of origin also has a spring, summer, winter and fall- as do most countries on either side of the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn? This mystery has yet to be solved- I suspect that Korean school children are taught that the phenomenon of four seasons is unique to Korea. When you are told this amazing fact, the best response is to nod knowingly and express your amazement that Korea has four distinct seasons. |
For current weather conditions and five day forecasts for every major city in South Korea, refer to this website: CLICK HERE for Yahoo Weather - Korea
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Summer in Korea
Summers in Korea tend to be hot and humid. The monsoon season usually starts in July and runs through August- expect brief, driving rains on an almost daily basis during these months. Cheju Island, off the South Coast of Korea, is the warmest and also the wettest area in South Korea.
August is the hottest month in South Korea, with average temperatures ranging from 20 to 26 degrees Celsius (68 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit). On average Pusan, the southern most major city in Korea, tends to be five degrees warmer Celsius than Seoul.
Most schools have air conditioning so your classroom isn't stiffling but the subway can be intoxicating. |
Fall in Korea
Autumn is generally considered to be the most pleasant season in Korea- the leaves turn color and the weather is usually cool and sunny.
The fall is beautiful t-shirt weather. The huge colourful leaves falling on the sidewalk add lots of colour to the city. Fall is the perfect time to go hiking. The temperature is just right, not too hot but still warm and the scenery is amazing. |
Winter in Korea
In winter the temperature hovers around freezing, and although snow occasionally falls in Seoul it rarely accumulates- winter weather in Korea is similar to weather in the mid-Atlantic United States- think Washington D.C., or the Pacific Northwest minus the rain.
January is the coldest month in South Korea, with temperatures ranging from -5 to 5 degrees Celsius (23 – 41 degrees Fahrenheit). |
Spring in Korea
Spring is also a pleasant season in Korea and several cities, including Masan, near Pusan, hold annual Cherry Blossom Festivals.
In March and April Korea experiences the ‘Yellow Dust’ phenomenon. Deforestation in central China and Mongolia causes massive amounts of particulate matter to be swept up during windstorms. Yellow Dust is usually simply an irritation- clothes and cars have to be washed more frequently than usual, however in recent years the amount of dust has become more severe, causing eye infections and respiratory ailments.
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Weather Synopsis
~ information provided by Corinne van Diepen - Footprints Teacher
South Korea is temperate with rainfall heavier in summer than in winter. There is a wet monsoon season in the middle of the year and a dry, cold winter from November to March. During the winter, winds pick up speed and are carried from the northwest. The coldest month is January. The average winter temperature is around -5C, and begins to warm up in March.
Weather from September to November is beautiful and sunny, with mild temperatures and little rain. The spring season, during April and May is also very pleasant, but more prone to rain than autumn. Temperatures will fall between 15-27C and 10-15C at night. Temperatures are cooler in the mountains.
The summer is particularly hot, muggy and prone to typhoons. The prevailing winds in the summer are southwest. The majority of typhoons usually strike from late June to September. The warmest month of the year is August. Temperatures fall between 28-37C and lows of 15-27C. |
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Annual precipitation is around 1500mm in the southern part of Korea, and 1300mm in the central part. Precipitation during the winter accounts for less than 10% of total. More than half the annual rainfall occurs during changma season (monsoon season) when a stationary front hangs over the penninsula for about a month in the summer. Changma is the word used for the summer Asian monsoon system that starts in the southern area of Korea and proceeds northward. Changma continues for 30 days with frequent heavy rainfalls and flash floods, which can result in great national disasters. Two or three of 28 generated typhoons annually affect the penninsula from June to October. Don't leave home without
your umbrella!
Humidity peaks in July to about 70-80% accross the penninsula. The lowest humidity (30-40%) occurs in January and April. Humidity from September to October is pleasant, helping contribute to a healthy harvest.
Although Korea is a small country, weather across the penninsula can be quite diverse. Precipitation levels are higher in Taegu and a little lower in Seoul and Kwanju. Temperatures in Seoul are slightly lower than in Taegu and Kwanju.
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Korean Geography
Because geography affects climate we thought we would include a bit here about where South Korea is actually located. South Korea borders North Korea to the North, faces China west across the Yellow Sea (which the Koreans call the West Sea), Japan to the east and south across the Sea of Japan (which Koreans call the East Sea).
Eighty percent of the country is mountainous, and the highest peak in South Korea is Hallasan, an extinct volcano on Cheju Island that rises to a height of 1,950 meters. South Korea is only 98,477 square kilometers (38,022 square miles)- or roughly the size of the US State of Indiana, or three times the size of Vancouver Island in Canada.
With a population of 48 million people, South Korea has over 400 people per square kilometer, making it one of the most densely populated countries on earth. |
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