When to go
Considering both the cold winter and the hot and rainy summer, the best times to visit South Korea are
spring and autumn, especially the months of May and October. The latter can be preferred because it's less rainy (and it's outside the so-called
yellow dust season). Moreover, in autumn, you can admire the fall foliage in national parks.
As mentioned on the climate page, the sea is warm enough for swimming from July to September, especially in the center-south.
What to pack
In
winter: for Seoul and the center-north, bring warm clothes, such as a down jacket, gloves, a scarf, and a hat. For the extreme south, Mokpo and Busan, warm clothes, such as a sweater and a jacket; a scarf, gloves and a hat for the evening, and possibly a raincoat or umbrella.
In
summer: bring light clothes of natural fibers, a light raincoat or umbrella, a scarf for the wind, and a light sweatshirt for air-conditioned places.
It is customary to remove shoes before entering homes and temples, so it can be useful to bring shoes without laces, or that are at least easy to take off.
Back to the climate of
South Korea