{"id":50535,"date":"2018-12-05T18:14:20","date_gmt":"2018-12-05T17:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/?p=50535"},"modified":"2024-11-29T14:44:04","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T05:44:04","slug":"winter-in-korea-what-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/winter-in-korea-what-to-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter in Korea! What to do and what to expect"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re up for an adventure, winter in Korea (in Korean \uaca8\uc6b8, gyeoul<\/em>) can be a perfect place to visit. Sometimes the summer can feel way too hot and humid, but the winters are cold and dry. Anywhere from December through mid-March can be the best time to enjoy all the snow activities, and beat the crowds that come to Seoul in the summer.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know for your winter trip to Korea!<\/p>\n

\"Warming<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the weather like in winter in Korea?<\/h2>\n

Depending on what you\u2019re used to for cold weather, you might find Korea\u2019s winter weather ok! In December and February, the average temperatures are between 4\/-4C, though in January it\u2019s significantly lower, averaging 1\u00b0\/-7\u00b0.<\/strong> In downtown Seoul, there\u2019s usually not too much snow, and it usually doesn\u2019t get in the way of any activities. Outside of the big city though, there can be a lot more snow requiring more preparation. In general though, winter in Korea is here is pretty dry, so snow won\u2019t be too much of a concern.<\/p>\n

Korea’s winter food<\/h2>\n

Korea has sooo many delicious soups and stews, they\u2019re a major part of the cuisine. Being here in winter makes them extra cozy. Even every day food such as Kimchi-jjigae (<\/em>\uae40\uce58\ucc0c\uac1c) which is kimchi stew<\/strong>, is extra delicious when it\u2019s cold outside. Hotteok (<\/em>\ud638\ub5a1), a sweet Korean fried pancake, is sold all year round, but is more popular (and tasty) in the winter when it\u2019s cold outside. Also look for roasted sweet potatoes<\/strong> (<\/em>\uad6c\uc6b4\uace0\uad6c\ub9c8), which are sold on the street. They\u2019re usually quite large, so they will keep your hands warm for a long time while you walk around during winter in Korea!<\/p>\n

\"Winter<\/p>\n

Skiing and snowboarding<\/h2>\n

The northern parts of South Korea have great conditions for skiing and snowboarding, and are part of what made the Pyeongchang Olympics a success. Take advantage in the winter by going to ski resorts<\/strong> such Yongpyong<\/strong> or Vivaldi Ski World<\/a>.<\/strong> Yongpyong<\/a> was also used during the Olympics, and so offers great facilities and ski hills.<\/p>\n

Korean spa<\/h2>\n

Another very popular activity to do in winter in Korea is going to jjimjilbang<\/em><\/strong>, or the Korean spa, which is very different from the Western one. First of all, it is opened 24 hours a day and is very often used by travelers as a cheap place to spend the night. It is divided into two areas: the first is an area divided by gender where you are completely naked, the other is a unisex relaxation area where you obviously have to wear the clothes that are provided at the entrance. Between one sauna and another, you will have the opportunity to warm up and forget the cold temperatures outside.<\/p>\n

Necessary winter gear<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Considering the weather, you do need some winter gear. Make sure you have at least a hat and scarf<\/strong> or hood, because the winter winds can feel brutal as well. Little alleys or streets lined by buildings can act like tunnels and make the wind feel even worse. Gloves<\/strong> can help with this too! Considering the dry weather, winter boots generally aren\u2019t necessary, though lots of body moisturizer can be nice!<\/p>\n

Many people also carry hot packs<\/strong> here, under their coat, in their boots to keep their toes warm, or in their gloves to heat up their fingers. They\u2019re perfect for when you have to do stuff outside, or even just waiting for the bus in the winter months. They\u2019re sold almost everywhere – in malls, convenience stores<\/a>, supermarkets. A pack of 10-20 is also quite cheap, it should only be a few thousand Korean won. They\u2019re not reusable though \u2013 after they\u2019ve been activated they only last for a few hours, and then a new one is necessary the next time. Definitely a great trick to keeping the cold away!<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

Christmas and New Year\u2019s Eve<\/h2>\n

Though there will be some decorations up for Christmas in Korea<\/a>, it\u2019s still not as big as it is in other countries. December 25th<\/sup> is a holiday here, so double check any plans you have for that day to make sure where you are going is still open and available. Often, if Christmas is early or late in the week, the day before or after will also be taken as a holiday, to give people a long weekend.<\/p>\n

There are some New Year\u2019s Eve events in Korea. Times Square (\ud0c0\uc784\uc2a4\ud018\uc5b4) in Yeongdeungpo (\uc601\ub4f1\ud3ec) has an outside party every year, and there are fireworks at the Lotte World Tower (\ub86f\ub370\uc6d4\ub4dc\ud0c0\uc6cc) in Jamsil (\uc7a0\uc2e4). January 1st<\/sup> is also a statutory holiday, with many places closed.<\/p>\n

Winter in Korea is a magical time of year to see this country. Don’t miss your chance to study in Korea in winter!<\/p>\n

For more information about life in Korea, keep following our Go! Go! Hanguk blog<\/a> and our TikTok account<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re up for an adventure, winter in Korea (in Korean \uaca8\uc6b8, gyeoul) can be a perfect place to visit. Sometimes the summer can feel way too hot and humid, but the winters are cold and dry. Anywhere from December through mid-March can be the best time to enjoy all the snow activities, and beat […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":78868,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1220],"tags":[1315,1318],"class_list":["post-50535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-in-korea","tag-things-to-do","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50535"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100419,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50535\/revisions\/100419"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}