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Weather in December in South Korea

Considering a trip to South Korea this December and wondering about the expected weather conditions? Find all the crucial information you need right here, addressing your question:

What is the weather like in South Korea in December?

December in South Korea generally has cold temperatures, with precipitation levels ranging from low to moderate. It's the height of winter.

Temperatures

The average maximum temperatures are cold and range from 4°C in Pyeongchang to 12°C in Seogwipo. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 6°C in Seogwipo and -7°C in Pyeongchang .

To explore the conditions in South Korea in more detail, check the map below.

Precipitation

In December, precipitation varies across different areas. From low snow/rainfall in Andong with an average of 22 mm to moderate snow/rainfall in Jeju with 75 mm.

Average sunshine

Most areas experience a moderate amount of sunshine, with approximately 163 hours of sunlight expected in Seoul. This makes it neither too gloomy nor overly bright.

For more details on the yearly climate, visit our South Korea climate page.

Where to go in South Korea in December

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the South Korea on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more details.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Select a Month of Interest

Check the conditions for any month of the year.

For a detailed overview over the year and the best time to visit South Korea, check out our South Korea's climate page.

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in December for the 5 most popular destinations in South Korea?

Seoul

In December Seoul generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 5°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -5°C and low monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Seoul
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
13°C 
2°C 
155 hours 
49 mm 
9 days 
5°C 
-5°C 
163 hours 
25 mm 
7 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
18°C 
8°C 
2,148 hours 
1236 mm 
107 days 
Climate in Seoul

Busan

In December Busan generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 11°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Busan
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
17°C 
9°C 
194 hours 
52 mm 
6 days 
11°C 
3°C 
204 hours 
32 mm 
5 days 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
19°C 
12°C 
2,361 hours 
1367 mm 
106 days 
Climate in Busan

Jeju

In December Jeju generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 12°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 7°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Jeju
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
17°C 
12°C 
126 hours 
74 mm 
10 days 
12°C 
7°C 
83 hours 
75 mm 
11 days 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
19°C 
14°C 
1,846 hours 
1452 mm 
139 days 
Climate in Jeju

Seogwipo

In December Seogwipo generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 12°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Seogwipo
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
17°C 
11°C 
170 hours 
68 mm 
9 days 
12°C 
6°C 
162 hours 
59 mm 
11 days 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
20°C 
13°C 
2,057 hours 
1619 mm 
135 days 
Climate in Seogwipo

Incheon

In December Incheon generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 6°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -3°C and low monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Incheon
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
13°C 
5°C 
172 hours 
53 mm 
9 days 
6°C 
-3°C 
178 hours 
27 mm 
8 days 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
17°C 
9°C 
2,397 hours 
1208 mm 
104 days 
Climate in Incheon

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in South Korea.

Is December the best time to visit South Korea?

In our view, December might not be the best time to travel to South Korea with often poor weather in Seoul.

On average, the best time to visit South Korea is in May and October with generally perfect weather in Seoul. The weather in January, July, August and December, on the other hand, tends to be poor.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in South Korea.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to South Korea? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in South Korea.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.