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The Korean peninsula is located in the midlatitudes. Depending on the time of the year, the peninsula is affected by the warm and dry, Yangtze-river air mass, the hot and humid North Pacific air mass, or the freezing Siberian air mass. That's why the weather and rainfall can be drastically different with each season: summers can get up to 40 degrees (C) and winters can be as cold as negative 20 degrees. Those traveling Korea may be perplexed if caught at one of the hottest or coldest days on the peninsula. That's why today we're going to be talking about the features of Korea's four seasons as well as the best times to come to Korea!

Korea's Seasons : 1. Spring

Spring is from Februrary 4th to May 6th. March, April, and May are considered springtime. This is the period when the days finally start to get warmer, but the weather then can be very fickle; one day it's really warm and the next day it's back to winter temperatures. In Korea, we call this a "ggotsaem cold," which means a bit of cold weather that comes because winter is jealous of spring's blooming flowers. Isn't that so cute?

Spring is the season of flower festivals, when forsythia, azalea, and cherry blossoms bloom all around. The biggest celebration is for the blooming of the cherry blossom in April, when the entire country is covered in pink and white petals. In Seoul, the best places to enjoy the cherry blossoms are Yeoido Hangang Park, Seokchon Lake, and Namsan Mountain. 

Spring is beautiful and heartwarming, but there are some downsides to this season: the yellow dust and the fine dust in the air. The Yangtze River air mass that blows over in the spring carries with it a lot of dust from China. The fine dust that comes from pollution is an issue that Koreans have especially started to acknowledge with much gravity and have been looking for serious solutions. On those days when there's a lot of fine dust in the air, the temperature is high because the dust stops the wind from blowing too hard in the air, but you have to remember to wear a face mask.   

Korea's Seasons : 2. Summer

Summer is from May 6th to August 8th. June, July, and August are therefore considered summertime. The temperatures during these months stay between 20-30 degrees, but can go up to 40 degrees on the hottest days. As for Daegu, the warmest city in Korea and often called Daefrica (Daegu + Africa), the temperatures consistently get to 40 degrees in the summer. From the end of June to mid July is the rainy season in Korea: it's not too hot then thanks to the rain, but the humidity can get pretty severe. From the end of July to August is when the heat is at its worst.

South Korea is surrounded by the sea on all three sides, so the beach is a popular summer destination! The West Sea and East Sea offer completely different views and vibes. The waters of the East Sea are clear and deep, and the sand on these beaches are super soft due to the strong waves. Some of the popular East Sea beach destinations include Gangneung's Gyeongpodae Beach and Busan's Haeundae Beach. On the other hand, the West Sea waters are shallow and the tides are very pronounced, which is why there are a lot of mud flats. The waters aren't very clean due to the mud and tides, so rather than swim these beaches are for activities such as catching crabs and sea creatures in the mud flats. Some of the popular West Sea destinations include Incheon's Eulwangri Beach, and Boryeong's Daecheon Beach. Boryeong is where the famous mud festival is held every year!

Korea's Seasons : 3. Autumn

The autumn is from August 8th to November 7th. September and October is usually considered autumn. The warm weather suddenly turns cool, so this is the perfect season for some outdoorsy activities. The sky is clearer and bluer in the autumn than in any other time of the year; in Korea, we often use the phrase "the high, blue autumn skies." The trees turn red and yellow, and as the leaves fall off, autumn festivals are held all over the country. Autumn is also considered the "lonely season," perhaps due to the falling leaves and colder temperatures. 

There are all sorts of things to do in the autumn. The old palaces such as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Changgyeonggung Palace are open later into the night during this season, the tickets for which are super popular and therefore hard to get. If wearing hanbok was too hot during the summer, the autumn is the perfect time to do so. You get free entry to the palaces if you have hanbok on, so that's one way to explore the old palaces. 

There are also a lot of fireworks going on during the autumn. Every year, Yeoido holds the the Seoul World Fireworks Festival, for which more than a million visitors come to watch. Autumn is the season to get fat! Get around and enjoy all the views and food while you can during this beautiful season. 

Korea's Seasons : 4. Winter

Winter is from November 7th to Februrary 4th. The months of November, December, January, Februrary are considered winter. Korea's winter is colder than you might expect; the temperatures drop to negative 20 degrees, and the ankle-length down coats that athletes often wear become popular during this harsh season. But come winter come the delicious winter street foods! Fish buns (shaped like a fish with sweet red bean inside), chrysanthemum buns (same as fish buns, just shaped like a flower), egg buns, walnut cakes, peanut cakes, hotteok, and baked sweet potatoes are sold on the streets during the winter. 

Korea also has a lot of mountains, so there's always a lot of winter activities such as skiing, snowboarding, and sleigh riding that you can enjoy come winter! If the winter weather seems too harsh for you, there's also plenty of indoor activities you can enjoy such as the COEX or Lotte World Malls. 

This was a post on Korea's Four Seasons. If you have any further inquiries, please feel free to comment below or shoot us an email at help@creatrip.com.