05 · Korea at a glance

Korea at a glance — the numbers worth knowing

The practical numbers for a trip to Korea: what Seoul’s weather is like each month, when the holidays fall, which numbers to call and who lives here. Figures come from the Korea Meteorological Administration, the national statistics office, UNESCO and other official sources.

250 numbers10 topics29 sources

Figures checked · October 3, 2026

05.1

Seoul weather, month by month

Winters are cold and dry, summers hot and humid, and about 63% of the year’s rain falls in June–August. All figures are 30-year averages (1991–2020) for the official Seoul weather station.

12.8°C

average temperature over the year

Average daily high 17.4°C, average daily low 8.9°C.

1991–2020 normals · Source

28.0°C

gap between the coldest and warmest months

January averages −1.9°C, August 26.1°C.

1991–2020 normals · Source

892 mm

of rain in June–August

About 63% of the 1,417.9 mm yearly total. Winter (Dec–Feb) gets only 67.6 mm, about 5%.

1991–2020 normals · Source

61.8%

average relative humidity

Summer averages 71.8%; spring and winter 56.3%. July is the most humid month (76.2%).

1991–2020 normals · Source

Typical daily low and high, by monthAverage of the daily minimum and maximum temperatures

View as table

Item	Low	High
Jan	−5.5°C	2.1°C
Feb	−3.2°C	5.1°C
Mar	1.9°C	11.0°C
Apr	8.0°C	17.9°C
May	13.5°C	23.6°C
Jun	18.7°C	27.6°C
Jul	22.3°C	29.0°C
Aug	22.9°C	30.0°C
Sep	17.7°C	26.2°C
Oct	10.6°C	20.2°C
Nov	3.5°C	11.9°C
Dec	−3.4°C	4.2°C

1991–2020 normals · Source: Korea Meteorological Administration — Open MET Data Portal, climate normals 1991–2020 (Seoul, station 108)

Average precipitation by monthJuly is the wettest month (414.4 mm), January the driest (16.8 mm)

View as table

Item	Value
Jan	16.8 mm
Feb	28.2 mm
Mar	36.9 mm
Apr	72.9 mm
May	104 mm
Jun	130 mm
Jul	414 mm
Aug	348 mm
Sep	142 mm
Oct	52.2 mm
Nov	51.1 mm
Dec	22.6 mm

1991–2020 normals · Source: Korea Meteorological Administration — Open MET Data Portal, climate normals 1991–2020 (Seoul, station 108)

Monthly climate normals for SeoulSeoul station (108). Precipitation includes snow (water equivalent).

Month	Mean	Avg high	Avg low	Precipitation (mm)	Humidity	Sunshine (hrs)	Wind (m/s)
Jan	−1.9°C	2.1°C	−5.5°C	16.8	56.2%	169.6	2.3
Feb	0.7°C	5.1°C	−3.2°C	28.2	54.6%	170.8	2.5
Mar	6.1°C	11.0°C	1.9°C	36.9	54.6%	198.2	2.7
Apr	12.6°C	17.9°C	8.0°C	72.9	54.8%	206.3	2.7
May	18.2°C	23.6°C	13.5°C	103.6	59.7%	223.0	2.5
Jun	22.7°C	27.6°C	18.7°C	129.5	65.7%	189.1	2.2
Jul	25.3°C	29.0°C	22.3°C	414.4	76.2%	123.6	2.2
Aug	26.1°C	30.0°C	22.9°C	348.2	73.5%	156.1	2.1
Sep	21.6°C	26.2°C	17.7°C	141.5	66.4%	179.7	1.9
Oct	15.0°C	20.2°C	10.6°C	52.2	61.8%	206.5	2.0
Nov	7.5°C	11.9°C	3.5°C	51.1	60.4%	157.3	2.2
Dec	0.2°C	4.2°C	−3.4°C	22.6	57.8%	162.9	2.3
Year	12.8°C	17.4°C	8.9°C	1,417.9	61.8%	2,143.1	2.3

1991–2020 normals · Source: Korea Meteorological Administration — Open MET Data Portal, climate normals 1991–2020 (Seoul, station 108)

05.2

Seasonal calendar: blossoms, monsoon, first snow

Normal dates from the Korea Meteorological Administration. Real dates shift from year to year — in 2026 Seoul’s cherry blossoms opened on 29 March, 10 days earlier than normal.

Normal dates of seasonal events in Seoul

Event	Normal date	Note
Cherry blossoms open (Seoul reference tree)	8 Apr	2026: 29 Mar — 10 days earlier than normal and 6 days earlier than 2025 (4 Apr)
Cherry blossoms in full bloom	10 Apr	Full bloom was not recorded in 1997–2012
Summer monsoon (jangma) begins — central region	25 Jun
Summer monsoon ends — central region	26 Jul
First frost	28 Oct
First ice	3 Nov
First snow	20 Nov

Cherry blossoms: KMA normal; monsoon, frost, ice and snow: 1991–2020 normals · Source: Korea Meteorological Administration — press release, 29 Mar 2026; Weather Nuri regional climate; Open MET Data Portal monsoon normals

31.5 days

of summer monsoon in the central region, which includes Seoul

25 Jun – 26 Jul on average, with rain on 17.7 of those days.

1991–2020 normals · Source

378 mm

of rain in an average monsoon season

Average of 26 central-region stations, including Seoul.

1991–2020 normals · Source

days — the longest monsoon on record in the central region

24 Jun – 16 Aug 2020 (records since 1973). The shortest lasted 16 days, in 2018.

2020 · Source

1922

the year Seoul’s cherry-blossom records began

The reference king cherry tree stands at the Seoul weather station (National Weather Museum, Jongno-gu). It counts as open when one branch has three or more fully opened flowers.

as of 2026 · Source

05.3

Weather records since 1907

Extremes measured at the official Seoul station since October 1907. Two of the five hottest days came in 2018 and 2026; all five coldest date from 1918–1931.

Seoul’s hottest and coldest days on recordDaily maximum and minimum temperatures, Seoul station (108)

#	Hottest	Date	Coldest	Date
1	39.6°C	1 Aug 2018	−23.1°C	31 Dec 1927
2	38.4°C	24 Jul 1994	−22.5°C	11 Jan 1931
3	38.2°C	24 Aug 1943	−22.3°C	4 Jan 1920
4	38.2°C	10 Aug 1939	−22.2°C	5 Jan 1928
5	38.0°C	7 Aug 2026	−21.8°C	3 Jan 1918

Since Oct 1907 · checked 3 Oct 2026 · Source: Korea Meteorological Administration — Open MET Data Portal, station extremes (Seoul, since 1907)

Rain and snow recordsOfficial Seoul station (108) only; local automatic weather stations are not included

Record	Amount	Date
Wettest day (mm)	354.7	2 Aug 1920
Wettest day — 2nd	332.8	8 Aug 1998
Wettest day — 3rd	301.5	27 Jul 2011
Heaviest hour of rain (mm)	118.6	5 Aug 1942
Heaviest hour — 2nd	116.0	13 Sep 1964
Heaviest hour — 3rd	99.5	15 Jul 2001
Deepest snow (cm)	31.0	24 Mar 1922
Deepest snow — 2nd	30.0	31 Jan 1969
Deepest snow — 3rd	28.6	28 Nov 2024
Wettest year (mm)	2,355.5	1990
Wettest year — 2nd	2,349.1	1998
Wettest year — 3rd	2,145.1	1940

Since Oct 1907 · checked 3 Oct 2026 · Source: Korea Meteorological Administration — Open MET Data Portal, station extremes (Seoul, since 1907)

05.4

Public holidays 2026–2027

Labour Day (1 May) and Constitution Day (17 July) became public holidays from 2026. Seollal and Chuseok follow the lunar calendar, so their dates change every year; in 2026 four holidays that fell on a weekend got a substitute weekday off.

public-holiday dates in 2026, including substitute days

Six of them fall on a Saturday or Sunday.

2026 · Source

weekday days off from public holidays in 2026

2026 · Source

119

days off in 2027, weekends included

Including ten breaks of three days or more.

2027 · Source

Public holidays in 2026Labour Day and Constitution Day were added from 2026 by a government amendment of 28 April 2026.

Holiday	Date	Note
New Year’s Day	1 Jan (Thu)
Seollal (Lunar New Year)	16–18 Feb (Mon–Wed)	Lunar New Year’s Day is 17 Feb
Independence Movement Day	1 Mar (Sun)
Substitute holiday	2 Mar (Mon)	For 1 Mar, which falls on a Sunday
Labour Day (Workers’ Day)	1 May (Fri)	New public holiday from 2026
Children’s Day	5 May (Tue)
Buddha’s Birthday	24 May (Sun)	8th day of the 4th lunar month
Substitute holiday	25 May (Mon)	For 24 May, which falls on a Sunday
Local Election Day	3 Jun (Wed)
Memorial Day	6 Jun (Sat)	No substitute day
Constitution Day	17 Jul (Fri)	A public holiday again from 2026, for the first time in 18 years
Liberation Day	15 Aug (Sat)
Substitute holiday	17 Aug (Mon)	For 15 Aug, which falls on a Saturday
Chuseok (Korean harvest festival)	24–26 Sep (Thu–Sat)	The 15th day of the 8th lunar month is 25 Sep
National Foundation Day	3 Oct (Sat)
Substitute holiday	5 Oct (Mon)	For 3 Oct, which falls on a Saturday
Hangeul Day	9 Oct (Fri)
Christmas Day	25 Dec (Fri)

2026 · Source: Korea Tourism Organization — Korea Public Holidays 2026; KASI 2026 calendar data; Newsis, 28 Apr 2026 — citing Ministry of Personnel Management (Labour Day and Constitution Day added)

Seollal and Chuseok in 2027Only the two big holidays are shown for 2027.

Holiday	Dates	Note
Seollal (Lunar New Year)	6–8 Feb (Sat–Mon)	Lunar New Year’s Day is 7 Feb (Sun); substitute holiday on 9 Feb (Tue)
Chuseok (Korean harvest festival)	14–16 Sep (Tue–Thu)	The 15th day of the 8th lunar month is 15 Sep (Wed)

2027 · Source: Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute — 2027 calendar data; Herald Corp, 28 Jun 2026 — citing Korea Aerospace Administration

05.5

Plugs, time zone and phone codes

Electricity

220 V: standard voltage — outlets have two round holes; adapters are sold at airports and convenience stores
60 Hz: mains frequency

as of Oct 2026 · Source: Korea Tourism Organization — Electricity & Communications

Time

UTC+9: Korea Standard Time, set on the 135°E meridian — Korea does not use daylight saving time

as of Oct 2026 · Source: Standard Time Act (Korea Legislation Research Institute translation); Korea Tourism Organization — Time Difference

Phone codes

+82: country calling code — e.g. +82-2-1330 for the Korea Travel Helpline from abroad
02: Seoul area code — e.g. 02-120 for the Dasan Call Center; from abroad +82-2-731-2120

as of Oct 2026 · Source: Korea Tourism Organization — Emergency Situations; 120 Dasan Call Foundation

05.6

Help lines worth saving

In an emergency call 112 (police) or 119 (fire and ambulance). For anything travel-related, 1330 connects you to the Korea Travel Helpline in eight languages.

Emergency and information lines1330 hours as published by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)

Number	What it is for	Hours	Languages and notes
112	Police	—	Listed by KTO as +82-112
119	Fire, ambulance and medical emergencies	—	Listed by KTO as +82-119
1330	Korea Travel Helpline (KTO): travel information, interpretation, tourist complaints	07:00–24:00	8 languages: Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay/Indonesian · from abroad +82-2-1330
1339	KDCA call centre: infectious diseases and travel health	24 hours, every day	Foreign callers are connected through a three-way call with 1330 or 1345 · free
1345	Immigration Contact Center: visas, stay and residence	Mon–Fri 09:00–22:00, closed on public holidays	20 languages: Korean, Chinese and English until 22:00, the other 17 until 18:00 · from abroad +82-2-1345
120	Seoul Dasan Call Center: city information, transport, lost and found, complaints	Korean 24 hours, every day; foreign languages Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00	Press 9, then 1 English, 2 Chinese, 3 Japanese, 4 Vietnamese, 5 Mongolian · from abroad +82-2-731-2120
182	LOST112 — police lost-and-found centre	—	+82-2-182 · lost112.go.kr in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese

checked Oct 2026 · Source: Korea Tourism Organization — Emergency Situations; KDCA 1339 call centre; Ministry of Justice / HiKorea; 120 Dasan Call Foundation; Seoul Metropolitan Government

languages on the 1330 Korea Travel Helpline, including Korean

as of Oct 2026 · Source

languages at the 1345 Immigration Contact Center

Korean, Chinese and English until 22:00; the other 17 languages until 18:00.

KDCA page reviewed 6 Jan 2026 · Source

public late-night pharmacies in Seoul

Open 22:00–01:00 in all 25 districts.

as of Jan 2026 · Source

05.7

Korea’s people

From the 2025 census (as of 1 November 2025) and the 2025 birth statistics. The census counts foreign residents who have lived in Korea for three months or more.

51.82M

people live in South Korea

Includes 2.11 million foreign residents (4.1%).

as of 1 Nov 2025 · Source

46.8

years — the median age

Men 45.4, women 48.4; up 0.6 years in one year.

as of 1 Nov 2025 · Source

83.7

years — life expectancy at birth

Men 80.8, women 86.6.

2024 life tables · Source

Age and households

20.7%: of the population is 65 or older — 10.72 million people, the first census reading above 20%
205.2: people aged 65+ for every 100 children under 15 — roughly two older people per child
23,246,000: households, with 2.16 people on average
36.6%: of households are one person living alone — 8.24 million
516: people per km² — national population density

as of 1 Nov 2025 · Source: National Data Office (Statistics Korea) — 2025 Population and Housing Census, press release, 28 Jul 2026

Births in 2025

0.80: total fertility rate (births per woman) — up from 0.75 in 2024, the second rise in a row
0.63: fertility rate in Seoul — the lowest in Korea; Gwanak-gu 0.43
254,300: babies born (+6.7%) — 697 a day on average

2025 · Source: National Data Office (Statistics Korea) — 2025 birth statistics, press release, 26 Aug 2026

2.78M

foreign nationals staying in Korea — Ministry of Justice count

Includes short-term stays such as visa-free visitors, so it is not the census count (2.11 million residents). 2,159,052 long-term, 624,195 short-term; +5.0% on a year earlier.

as of 31 Dec 2025 · Source

308,838

international students in Korea

+17.1% on a year earlier.

as of 31 Dec 2025 · Source

05.8

Who lives in Seoul

Seoul has 2.8% fewer people than in 2020, yet with a median age of 45.3 it is still younger than Korea as a whole (46.8).

9.32M

people live in Seoul

18% of Korea’s population, on 0.6% of its land.

as of 1 Nov 2025 · Source

369,000

foreign residents in Seoul

17.5% of Korea’s foreign residents, down from 24.7% in 2015. In Yeongdeungpo-gu (10.5%), Geumcheon-gu (10.4%) and Guro-gu (10.3%) more than one in ten residents is a foreign national.

as of 1 Nov 2025 · Source

37.1%

of adults in Seoul have never married — the highest share in Korea

Korean nationals aged 18+. Gwanak-gu’s 51.3% is the highest of any district nationwide.

as of 1 Nov 2025 · Source

Seoul’s population, 2020–2025Census population on 1 November each year

View as table

Item	Value
2020	9,586,000
2021	9,472,000
2022	9,417,000
2023	9,385,000
2024	9,335,000
2025	9,315,000

2020–2025 · Source: National Data Office (Statistics Korea) — 2025 Population and Housing Census, press release, 28 Jul 2026

Seoul compared with KoreaSeoul’s density is its census population divided by its 605.2 km² area. Children aged 0–14 are only 8.4% of Seoul’s population — the lowest of any province or city.

	Korea	Seoul
Median age	46.8	45.3
Aged 65+	20.7%	20.2%
Households	23,246,000	4,360,000
One-person households	36.6%	40.5%
People per km²	516	15,392

as of 1 Nov 2025 · Source: National Data Office (Statistics Korea) — 2025 Population and Housing Census, press release, 28 Jul 2026

05.9

Seoul’s size and the Han River

605.2

km² — the area of Seoul

About 0.6% of South Korea’s 100,472.4 km².

as of 31 Dec 2025 · Source

districts (gu) in Seoul

Divided into 427 administrative neighbourhoods (dong).

as of Oct 2026 · Source

41.5 km

of the Han River flows through Seoul

The river is 900–1,200 m wide through the city.

page updated 20 Feb 2025 · Source

Han River bridges inside Seoul’s city limits

Of the 32 bridges from Ilsan to Paldang, 22 are inside Seoul, 6 on the city boundary and 4 outside.

as of 31 Dec 2025 · Source

Han River parks

Yeouido, Banpo, Ttukseom, Mangwon and seven more.

as of Oct 2026 · Source

555

metres — the height of Lotte World Tower

123 floors. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat lists the architectural height as 554.5 m.

completed 2017 · Source

05.10

UNESCO heritage

Korea has 60 entries on UNESCO’s heritage lists. Three World Heritage sites are in Seoul: Jongmyo Shrine, Changdeokgung and part of the Joseon royal tombs.

UNESCO World Heritage sites

15 cultural, 2 natural. 12 more sites are on Korea’s Tentative List.

as of Oct 2026 · Source

Intangible Cultural Heritage elements

Latest: jang (fermented sauce) making, 2024. Hanji papermaking is up for decision at the late-2026 committee.

end of 2025, unchanged as of Oct 2026 · Source

Memory of the World entries

Two added in 2025: the reforestation records and the Jeju 4·3 Archives. The first, in 1997, included Hunminjeongeum and the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.

end of 2025 · Source

UNESCO listings in all

Up from 52 in 2021: 17 World Heritage, 20 Memory of the World, 23 Intangible Cultural Heritage.

end of 2025 · Source

Korea’s 17 World Heritage sites

Site	Inscribed	Type	Note
Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple	1995	Cultural
Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon	1995	Cultural
Jongmyo Shrine	1995	Cultural	In Seoul
Changdeokgung Palace Complex	1997	Cultural	In Seoul
Hwaseong Fortress	1997	Cultural
Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites	2000	Cultural
Gyeongju Historic Areas	2000	Cultural
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes	2007	Natural
Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty	2009	Cultural	Partly in Seoul
Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong	2010	Cultural
Namhansanseong	2014	Cultural
Baekje Historic Areas	2015	Cultural
Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea	2018	Cultural
Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies	2019	Cultural
Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats	2021	Natural	Extended in 2026
Gaya Tumuli	2023	Cultural
Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream	2025	Cultural

as of Oct 2026 · Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Republic of Korea

Korea’s 23 Intangible Cultural Heritage elementsYears as shown on UNESCO’s list; the first three had been proclaimed earlier as Masterpieces

Element	Year	Note
Royal ancestral ritual in Jongmyo Shrine and its music	2008	Proclaimed a Masterpiece in 2001
Pansori epic chant	2008	Proclaimed a Masterpiece in 2003
Gangneung Danoje festival	2008	Proclaimed a Masterpiece in 2005
Ganggangsullae (circle dance)	2009
Namsadang Nori (travelling troupe performance)	2009
Yeongsanjae (Buddhist ritual)	2009
Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut (shaman ritual)	2009
Cheoyongmu (court mask dance)	2009
Gagok, lyric song cycles with orchestra	2010
Daemokjang, traditional wooden architecture	2010
Jultagi, tightrope walking	2011
Taekkyeon, a traditional martial art	2011
Weaving of mosi (fine ramie) in the Hansan region	2011
Arirang, lyrical folk song	2012
Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi	2013
Nongak, community band music, dance and rituals	2014
Tugging rituals and games	2015	Multinational nomination
Culture of Jeju haenyeo (women divers)	2016
Ssireum, traditional Korean wrestling	2018	First joint North–South Korean inscription
Yeondeunghoe, lantern lighting festival	2020
Falconry	2021	Multinational nomination; Korea first listed in 2010
Talchum, mask dance drama	2022
Jang making (fermented sauces)	2024

as of Oct 2026 · Source: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — Republic of Korea; e-Narajipyo (original proclamation years)

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Figures checked · October 3, 2026