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
- Korea Meteorological Administration www.weather.go.kr (forecasts and warnings)
- AirKorea www.airkorea.or.kr (fine dust)
- Naver and Kakao weather
- Disaster text messages — heat, cold and heavy rain warnings. See emergency-text.
- 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