Weather Overview

What is the weather like in Seoul? Well...when we say it's cold in January, it's cold and when we say it's hot in August, it's really hot and sometimes a bit sticky. However, for the rest of the year, the weather in Seoul is pleasantly sunny and mild, lot's of sunshine and little rain, except for the rainy season, also known as 'changma', starting late June through mid-July.

There are four distinct seasons in Seoul: Spring from April to early June is warm and the trees are ablaze with cherry blossoms. Autumn, from September to November, is usually sunny, and the surrounding hillsides show a riot of autumn colors. In winters average temperatures hit around zero from December to February. The city receives rainfall during the summer months and some weeks in August are unpleasantly hot and humid. Essentially, the most tourist friendly seasons here are Spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom as well as Autumn when the skies are clear, sunny and warm.

Ready for the weather in Seoul? 

Seoul has sunny and short winters, however is does get cold due to high pressure zones caused by cold blasts of air from Siberia. If you visit in winter, make sure you bring warm clothes but fear not if you forget - as Seoul is a shoppers paradise all year round. The weather in Seoul can be compared to New York City, despite the rainy month of July and the dry air throughout the year. Seoul is on the same geographical latitude as Lisbon however, summer is significantly hotter because of the air humidity and winters are colder.

Even though most Seoulites will tell you to visit the city in Spring or Autumn, many people still visit the city all year round as Seoul is a city with activities abound for all seasons.

Instead of sweating under the hot sun, from July to September, try jumping into one of Seoul's many indoor and outdoor pools to get refreshed. From hotel pools, theme park pools, and local outdoor pools, Seoul has many ways for residents and tourists to beat the heat and splash into some summer fun.

If you visit Seoul in the winter time, try going to a jimjibang, a traditional - surely you'll end up with a unique experience and look into the local customs. Also a good tip, if you are visiting Seoul in the winter and staying in a hotel, fill up your bathtub with water before you go to bed. It will help increase the humidity in the air and decrease the dryness. Due to the cold winter, many places turn up the heat reaching a ridicously high indoor temperature, even on public transportation like buses. You will see that many private and public spaces all have humidifiers to add moisture to the air.

Seoul doesn't get a lot of snow during the winter, however significant snowfalls do appear each winter, some of which are used for training young Korean men on their military duty!