Korea is classified as having a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, though some make the argument that the rainy season in between spring and summer should bring the number of seasons to five. Spring and fall are relatively short. The wet season comes in summer, which is muggy and humid, while winter is dry and cold.
April to May. The average temperature is 10 to 20 degrees centigrade.
However, sometimes there can be snowstorms and the temperature may fall below freezing. This kind of weather is called 'kkossem chuui' (꽃샘추위) meaning "cold weather in the blossoming season." There is little rain in spring, but on many days the wind is strong. When the wind is especially strong, something called the "yellow
sand" or "yellow dust" (hwangsa 황사), a phenomenon which occurs as the wind picks up dust in China and carries it all the way to Korea, and fills the sky. Chinese sandstorms are believed to cause health problems such as bronchitis and eye ailments; recent data indicate that they also cause people to breathe in high concentrations of heavy metals.
June to September. The temperature averages between 20 and 33 degrees centigrade. June and July are known as jangma (장마), the rainy season. This period alone sees 60-70% of the country's yearly rainfall. Because of this, some areas suffer flood and other damage. By August the rainy season is over, and then temperatures rise to over 30. Many people take their summer vacation during this time.
October to November. The average temperature is between 15 and 25 degrees centigrade. Winds travel from the north, which means there are no effects from Chinese sandstorms.
November to March. The temperature ranges between -5 and +7 degrees centigrade.
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