The climate in South Korea

South Korea has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, which are quite similar to other countries in East Asia. Due to its location at the eastern end of the Asian continent, the climate in South Korea is significantly influenced by the prevailing winds and ocean currents of the Pacific Ocean.

During the winter months from December to February, the weather in South Korea is cold and dry, with average temperatures ranging from 0°C to -10°C in the north. In the south, temperatures are about 5-10 degrees higher. Snow occasionally falls during this period, especially in the mountainous regions in the north and east of the country.

In spring, from March to May, it is mild and pleasant, with temperatures between 10°C and 20°C. This is a popular time for tourists to travel, when cherry blossoms also bloom and festivals are celebrated throughout the country.

Summer is hot and humid with temperatures between 25°C and 35°C. This season lasts from June to August. It is also the rainy season, when the country experiences heavy rainfall. It is particularly pronounced on the east coast and in the southern regions.

In the autumn months from September to November it is rather mild and dry, the temperatures are between 10 and 20°C, as in spring.

Temperature records of the last 72 years

The hottest temperature measured from 1951 to January 2023 was reported by the Seoul weather station. In August 2018, the record temperature of 39.6 °C was reported here. The hottest summer from July to September, based on all 11 weather stations in South Korea , was recorded in 1994 with an average temperature of 25.7 °C. This average temperature will normally be measured every four to six hours, thus also including the nights. Normally, this value is 23.9 degrees Celsius.

The coldest day in these 72 years was reported by the Chuncheon weather station. Here the temperature dropped to -24.5 °C in January 2001. Chuncheon lies at an altitude of 79 meters above sea level. The coldest winter (January to March) was in 1951 with an average temperature of -0.6 °C. In South Korea, it is usual to have about 3.9 degrees more at 3.3 °C for this three-month period.

The most precipitation fell in August 1998. With 39.9 mm per day, the Seoul weather station recorded the highest monthly average of the last 72 years. Incidentally, the region with the most rainfall for the whole year is around Busan. The driest region is near Mokpo.

Long-term development of temperatures from 1990 - 2022

In contrast to single record values, long-term development cannot simply be brought about by all weather stations in the country. Both the number and the locations are constantly changing. An average value would give a distorted result. If several measuring stations in particularly cold mountain or coastal regions are added in one year, the average would decrease as a result of this alone. If a station fails during the summer or winter months, it does not provide any values and distorts the average again. The subsequent long-term development was therefore reduced to only 3 measuring points in order to have comparable data over as long a period as possible.

In the years 1990 to 2022, there were only these 3 weather stations in the whole country, which reported continuous temperature values (Mokpo, Busan, Gangneung). From these weather reports, we have created a long-term development that shows the monthly average temperatures. The hottest month in this entire period was July 1994 at 28.1 °C. January 2011 was the coldest month with an average temperature of -1.9 °C.

The average annual temperature was about 14.1 °C in the years after 1990 and about 14.7 °C in the last years before 2022. It has therefore increased only slightly by about 0.6 °C over the past 33 years. This trend only applies to the selected 3 weather stations in South Korea. A considerably more comprehensive evaluation of global warming has been provided separately.

Data basis and methodology

The data from the individual measuring stations are based on the archives of the German Weather Service, individual values averaged and supplemented by own elements. In order to determine a representative national average, average values were first calculated for each part of the country, which were then summarized at the national level. Thus, if a disproportionate number of weather stations are located in a small area, their number does not affect the national average.