Preparing for the seasons

Korean summers are hot and humid; winters are very cold. Prepare in advance.

Season by season

• Spring (March–May) — big daily temperature swings. Carry a light jacket. Some days bring yellow dust and fine particulates. See fine-dust.
• Summer (June–August) — hot and humid, with the monsoon rains (June–July) and typhoons. Watch out for heat illness. See heat-illness and monsoon-typhoon.
• Autumn (September–November) — clear but with wide temperature swings. The best season for travel.
• Winter (December–February) — below freezing, with snow. Heating costs rise sharply. See heating-ondol and cold-wave.

What to have ready

• Spring and autumn — a light jacket, masks for fine dust
• Summer — umbrella, light breathable clothing, sunscreen, water, dehumidifier packs
• Winter — a heavy coat, thermal underwear, gloves, scarf, hand warmers, non-slip shoes
• Year-round — a weather app and the Emergency Ready app

Checking the weather

1. Korea Meteorological Administration www.weather.go.kr (forecasts and warnings)
2. AirKorea www.airkorea.or.kr (fine dust)
3. Naver and Kakao weather
4. Disaster text messages — heat, cold and heavy rain warnings. See emergency-text.
5. Emergency Ready app — with multilingual support.

Questions people ask

My winter heating bills are enormous. Insulation (draught strips, bubble wrap on windows) and a moderate set temperature help. Check whether you qualify for the energy voucher. See energy-voucher and heating-ondol.

I worry about electricity bills from air conditioning. There are progressive rate bands. See air-conditioning for ways to save.

Mould is growing in my home. Common in the rainy season. Ventilation and dehumidifying are the basics. See monsoon-typhoon.

Where can I buy clothes cheaply? Traditional markets, hypermarkets, online shopping and second-hand trading. See second-hand.

Take care

During heat and cold wave warnings, cut back outdoor activity and work. In particular, those working outdoors must have water, shade and rest breaks — it is part of the employer's safety duty. See heat-illness and cold-wave.

Related

fine-dust · monsoon-typhoon · heating-ondol · air-conditioning · heat-illness

Source

Korea Meteorological Administration www.weather.go.kr / As of 2026-08