Climate

Korea has four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are rather short, summer is hot and humid, and winter is cold and dry with abundant snowfall. Recently, global climatic changes have been affecting the Korean Peninsula, causing summers to be rainier and winters to be less snowy.

Temperatures differ widely from region to region within Korea, with the average being between 6oC (43oF) and 16oC (61oF). The average temperature in August, the hottest period of the year, ranges from 19oC (66oF) to 27oC (81oF), while that in January, the coldest month, ranges from -8oC (17oF) to 6oC (43oF).

Early spring weather is somewhat unpredictable, with frequent rain and gusty winds carrying "yellow sand dust" from the deserts of northern China. But in mid-April, the country enjoys balmy weather with the mountains and fields garbed in brilliant wild flowers.

Farmers prepare seedbeds for the annual rice crop at this time. Autumn, with its crisp air and crystal blue sky, is the season most widely loved by Koreans. The countryside is particularly beautiful, colored in a diversity of rustic hues. Autumn, the harvest season, features various folk festivals rooted in ancient agrarian customs.