When is the best time to visit South Korea?

The best time to visit South Korea is May and October: all 3 of the cities we cover are at their best then. By city: Seoul, April to May and September to October; Busan, May to June and October to November; Jeju Island, May to June and September to October. Cities marked weather data only have a pick based on temperature and rain alone, not yet checked against crowds or local seasons.

When is the hottest month in South Korea?

It depends on the city. The hottest month is July in Seoul; August in Busan and Jeju Island (average daytime highs, 2019-2024).

When is the rainy season in South Korea?

The wettest month, counted in days with at least 1 mm of rain, is July in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island. Open the city guide for the full month-by-month table.

Is there a month that is good everywhere in South Korea?

Yes: May and October, when all 3 cities we cover are at their best.

Best Time to Visit South Korea: Month by Month, City by City

Best months by city

City	Best months	Hottest month	Wettest month
Seoul	April to May and September to October	July, 84°F (29°C)	July, about 18 rainy days
Busan	May to June and October to November (weather data only)	August, 84°F (29°C)	July, about 17 rainy days
Jeju Island	May to June and September to October (weather data only)	August, 77°F (25°C)	July, about 24 rainy days

Each city name opens its own month-by-month table. Heat is the average daytime high; rainy days are days with at least 1 mm of rain. Cities marked "weather data only" have not yet been checked against crowds, closures or local seasons.

Every month at a glance

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Seoul	Avoid	Okay	Okay	Best	Best	Okay	Avoid	Avoid	Best	Best	Okay	Avoid
Busan	Okay	Okay	Okay	Okay	Best	Best	Avoid	Okay	Okay	Best	Best	Okay
Jeju Island	Avoid	Avoid	Okay	Okay	Best	Best	Avoid	Okay	Best	Best	Okay	Avoid

Best = the city's best months. Avoid = very hot, very cold or among the wettest months. Okay = neither. Hover or tap a cell for the reason.

South Korea month by month

January: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Seoul (cold, 36°F (2°C)); Jeju Island (cold, 36°F (2°C)).
February: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Jeju Island (cold, 39°F (4°C)).
March: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month.
April: At its best in Seoul (1 of 3).
May: At its best in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island (3 of 3).
June: At its best in Busan and Jeju Island (2 of 3).
July: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Seoul (among the wettest, 18 rainy days); Busan (among the wettest, 17 rainy days); Jeju Island (among the wettest, 24 rainy days).
August: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Seoul (among the wettest, 17 rainy days).
September: At its best in Seoul and Jeju Island (2 of 3).
October: At its best in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island (3 of 3).
November: At its best in Busan (1 of 3).
December: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Seoul (cold, 37°F (3°C)); Jeju Island (cold, 38°F (3°C)).

Plan your trip

Open a city guide for tours, hotels and what to do there:

See today's travel advisory for South Korea (government warnings, checked every 2 minutes).

South Korea: common questions

When is the best time to visit South Korea?: The best time to visit South Korea is May and October: all 3 of the cities we cover are at their best then. By city: Seoul, April to May and September to October; Busan, May to June and October to November; Jeju Island, May to June and September to October. Cities marked weather data only have a pick based on temperature and rain alone, not yet checked against crowds or local seasons.
When is the hottest month in South Korea?: It depends on the city. The hottest month is July in Seoul; August in Busan and Jeju Island (average daytime highs, 2019-2024).
When is the rainy season in South Korea?: The wettest month, counted in days with at least 1 mm of rain, is July in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island. Open the city guide for the full month-by-month table.
Is there a month that is good everywhere in South Korea?: Yes: May and October, when all 3 cities we cover are at their best.

How we worked this out

Temperatures and rainy days come from Open-Meteo ERA5 records for 2019-2024 for each city. Where a city's best months were checked by hand against crowds and local seasons, that is the pick shown; otherwise the pick is based on weather alone and is marked. Weather changes from year to year, so treat this as a planning guide, not a forecast.