Best Time to Visit Korea: A Complete Guide to Its Vibrant Four Seasons

 

(서울 북촌 한옥마을, 전통가옥이 잘 보존되어 있어서 일년 내내 방문이 가능해요 Seoul's Bukchon Hanok Village, where traditional houses are well-preserved, making it a place you can visit all year round.)

Best Time To Visit Korea : 4 Seasons in Korea

Let's talk about the four seasons of Korea.

 Korea is a country where all four seasons are clearly distinct spring, summer, fall and winter. Each season has had a deep and lasting impact on Korean life. 

Understanding Korea's seasons helps you understand the lives of Korean people. Even the Bali Bali culture, this rush to move quickly, comes from the need to survive constant seasonal change.

 If you didn't plant in spring, you couldn't harvest in fall. If you didn't gather firewood before winter, you couldn't make it through the cold. Koreans had to live in harmony with changing nature. Their stories are deeply tied to the rhythms of the seasons.  Shall we take a seasonal journey together?

 Spring in Korea lasts from March to May, with average temperatures ranging from minus 2 to 23 degrees Celsius. The school year begins in March, so if you're planning to study or move with children it's best to arrive before then. 

(4월의 여의도 벚꽃, 한국의 봄은 온 천지에 꽃이 가득합니다 Yeouido cherry blossoms in April; Korea's spring is full of flowers everywhere.)

May is often called the Queen of seasons in Korea, it's lively beautiful and full of energy.  April and May are the best months for visiting Korea.

 If you want to feel Korea's vibrant spirit come in spring. But spring wasn't always joyful. In the past, food was scarce and farm work just beginning. People called this time the barley hump, a season of hunger and hard work. Spring brought hope but also struggle.

(오랫동안 한국의 봄은 힘든 계절이었어요. 6월 보리 수확 때까지 먹을 것이 부족해서 보릿고개라고도 불리웠답니다 For a long time, spring in Korea was a difficult season. There wasn't enough to eat until the barley harvest in June, which is why it was also called "Bori-gogae" (the barley hump).

 Summer in Korea lasts from June to August. Temperatures range from 17 to 33 degrees Celsius. It's hot and humid with a rainy season -jangma- arriving in late June and early July. After the rains the real heat begins People escape to the mountains or beaches for relief vacation season runs from mid July to mid August.

(한여름 한강 변 수영장에서 맥주 한잔 하는 즐거움도 있죠 There's also the pleasure of enjoying a beer at a riverside swimming pool by the Han River in midsummer.)

At the Han River, outdoor pools and fountains draw big crowds. And in the evening a cold beer adds to the summer joy. A bowl of bingsu shaved ice with sweet toppings is a perfect way to cool down. Summer is great for beach and water sports, but it's not the easiest time for general travel in Korea.

(제가 좋아하는 팥빙수, 여러분도 더운 여름에 카페에서 드실 수 있어요 My favorite Patbingsu (red bean shaved ice), you can also enjoy it at a cafe during the hot summer.)

 Autumn lasts from September to November with temperatures between 3 and 26 degrees Celsius. It's one of the best times to visit Korea alongside spring. Chuseok, Korea's version of Thanksgiving, takes place in fall. If you want to see Korea's stunning fall foliage, come in October or November. Autumn invites quiet walks, thoughtful reading and reflection. It's also a season filled with festivals and outdoor activities.

(아파트 단지에 노란 은행잎이 가을을 축하하고 있습니다 Yellow ginkgo leaves in the apartment complex are celebrating autumn.)

 Winter in Korea runs from December to February. Temperatures drop to between minus 7 and 5 degrees Celsius and sometimes colder. Snow is common turning towns and cities white. Skiing and sledding are popular winter sports and warm soups and traditional dishes help chase away the chill. Even in the cold, a warm cafe with a hot cup of coffee can make winter feel cozy and memorable. 

(도심의 겨울, 제가 촬영한 도심 설경인데 멋있지 않나요? Winter in the city center, a snowy urban landscape I photographed – isn't it stunning?)

(눈 내린 도심 아파트 단지 설경도 멋지죠? The snowy urban apartment complex landscape is also wonderful, isn't it?)

For travellers from warm countries buying winter clothes can be expensive and useless after the trip. That's why Incheon Airport offers winter coat rentals. You pick one up when you arrive and return it before departure. With a Korea Tour card, the rental may even be free. Consider using this service when visiting Korea in winter.

(겨울에는 따뜻한 나라에서 오신 분들을 위해서 인천공항에서 겨울옷을 대여 해주고 있어요. In winter, Incheon Airport offers winter clothing rental services for visitors from warmer countries.)

 Korea's four seasons are more than weather patterns. They reflect a life of adaptation of harmony with change. The beauty of seasons came with hardship too, surviving the cold, preparing for harvest, enduring heat.  

That's why the seasons are filled with the philosophy and soul of Korean life. To truly understand Korea, you must feel its seasons. 

Spring brings hope, 

Summer brings energy, 

Autum brings reflection, 

Winter brings calm.

 I hope, this gave you a small taste of each season. 

Now, Let me ask,  

which season do you like the most?

Hope this video gives you a better sense of what Korea is like today.