South Korea Weather and Climate
According to COUNTRYAAH, South Korea is a State of East Asia (99,646 km²). Capital: Seoul. Administrative division: provinces (9), metropolitan cities (6), special cities (1). Population: 51,466,201 (2017 estimate). Language: Korean. Religion: non-religious / atheists 56%, Buddhists 16%, Protestants 20%, Catholics 8%, Confucians 0.5%, syncretic religions 0.2%, others 0.6%. Currency unit: South Korean won (100 chon). Human Development Index: 0.903 (22nd place). Borders: North Korea (N), Sea of Japan (E), Strait of Korea (S) and Yellow Sea (W). Member of: APEC, EBRD, OCDE, UN, OAS observer and WTO.
Extending below the 38th parallel, immersed in a luxuriant nature made of deep gorges and steep mountain heights, South Korea has known, starting from the political division that made it independent from the rest of the peninsula and the devastation of war which resulted from a development process characterized by various factors: alternating political events (regimes endorsed under the aegis of US interests, military dictatorships, corrupt and repressive governments but also intense democratic pressures on the part of the people); economic changes (from an agricultural vocation made up of debts and backwardness to an intense and rapid industrialization as well as the opening of markets); social transformations (impoverishment of peasants, forced urban emigration, exploitation of cheap labor, unionization, but also widespread literacy) and fluctuations in international relations (trade and commercial agreements with Western partners but also delicate diplomatic issues, such as the one with Japan, accused of historical revisionism). South Korea appears today as a growing country, committed to consolidating the economic achievements that have characterized the past decades and opening up new spaces for a market that is increasingly looking towards Western models. Also on the international level, South Korea has shown its willingness to resolve the delicate issue of reunification with the rest of the peninsula, through a political confrontation (the summit held at the end of the nineties between the leaders of the two countries is historic).
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about South Korea.
Optimal travel time for the regions
In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (South Korea).
| Place | Best travel time |
| Seoul | May, June and September |
| Busan | April, May and September |
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Seoul (South Korea)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 1 ° C | 3 ° C | 9 ° C | 17 ° C | 23 ° C | 26 ° C | 29 ° C | 30 ° C | 26 ° C | 20 ° C | 11 ° C | 4 ° C |
| Night temperature | -7 ° C | -5 ° C | 0 ° C | 7 ° C | 12 ° C | 17 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 16 ° C | 9 ° C | 2 ° C | -4 ° C |
| Water temperature | 5 ° C | 4 ° C | 4 ° C | 8 ° C | 10 ° C | 18 ° C | 21 ° C | 24 ° C | 21 ° C | 18 ° C | 13 ° C | 7 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 23 | 25 | 47 | 94 | 92 | 134 | 369 | 294 | 169 | 49 | 53 | 22 |
| Hours of sunshine | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| Sunrise | 7:45 | 7:20 | 6:45 | 6:00 | 5:25 | 5:10 | 5:20 | 5:45 | 6:15 | 6:40 | 7:10 | 7:40 |
| Sunset | 17:40 | 18:10 | 18:40 | 19:05 | 19:35 | 19:55 | 19:55 | 19:25 | 18:40 | 17:55 | 17:20 | 17:15 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Seoul is 11.8 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is August (25.4 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of -3.4 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Seoul is 24 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. The months of June, July, August, September and October have a water temperature of at least 17 ° C. Bathing is then possible to a limited extent. The months of July, August and September have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 1371 mm. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of July and August are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, about 663 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. In the months of January, February, March, November and December is possible snowfall.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, May is the sunniest month with an average of 7.4 hours of sunshine per day. In the annual mean, the sun shines an average of 5.7 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Cities nearby
The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Incheon, Suwon, Goyang, Yongin, Seongnam, Bucheon, Hwaseong, Ansan, Namyangju, Anyang, Siheung, Uijeongbu, Paju, Kwangmyŏng, Gimpo, Gwangmyeong, Gwangju, Gunpo, Osan, Yangju, Guri, Pocheon, Uiwang and Hanam.
