Mud festival in South Korea
In July, the peaceful seaside town of Boryeong turned into a chaos of mud for 9 days. We recommend putting this festival on your bucket list.
Gwangju in South Korea sees significant seasonal temperature differences, with daytime highs between 6°C (43°F) in January and 31°C (88°F) in August, averaging 20°C (68°F) annually. Explore the full monthly breakdown below.
The climate in Gwangju is dynamic, ranging widely from chilly in winter to very warm in summer. Nights are significantly colder, with lows dropping from 22°C (72°F) in August to -4°C (25°F) in January.
The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in Gwangju by month:
Low temperatures are most often recorded between 4 AM and 6 AM, while highs typically occur around 3 PM. August, the city's warmest month, sees 174 hours of sunshine.
The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:
Average high and low temperatures for each day of the month based on long-term records. 50-year average (1976-2025)
Browse day-by-day temperature records for Gwangju spanning 51 years. Select any month and year to see actual high and low temperatures recorded on each day.
The map below shows the annual temperature across South Korea. You can also select individual months if you want to compare a specific time of year.
Gwangju's average annual maximum temperature is 20°C (68°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:
Seville, Spain averages 23°C (73°F) a year, one of the warmer cities in Western Europe, with long hot summers.
Toronto, Canada averages 13°C (55°F) annually, with cold snowy winters balanced by genuinely warm summers.
Buenos Aires, Argentina averages 23°C (73°F) a year, with hot summers and mild winters, and seasons reversed compared to Europe.
Melbourne, Australia averages 20°C (68°F) annually, known for unpredictable weather, with four seasons sometimes happening in one day.
Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story, humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.
In the cooler months, when temperatures drop below 10°C, high humidity makes the cold feel more cutting than it would in dry conditions.
In Gwangju, January is the coolest month, with average highs of 6°C (43°F) and humidity around 67%, considered high. In August, the warmest month, temperatures average 31°C (88°F) with 78% humidity, conditions that feel high. For a full picture, see our humidity page.
Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.
The readings come from a range of sources, land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.
Seasonal temperature shifts influence more than just how warm it feels, they also drive changes in rainfall, cloud cover, and wind patterns throughout the year.
Warmer air holds more moisture, which tends to mean heavier or more frequent rain during the warmer months. When temperatures drop in winter, any precipitation that does fall is more likely to come as snow or sleet, though in Gwangju this rarely lasts long on the ground.
For more on Gwangju's weather, including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity, visit our Gwangju climate page.
Pick a month to see the average temperature, rainfall and sunshine in Gwangju - and find the best time to visit.
Temperature Rainfall Sunshine Humidity
See the full Gwangju climate overview or explore weather in South Korea.
Where to go in October - average daytime high across popular destinations.
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Mud festival in South Korea
In July, the peaceful seaside town of Boryeong turned into a chaos of mud for 9 days. We recommend putting this festival on your bucket list.
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