Korea in Winter (2026–27): Cold, Snow, Skiing and Seollal

Korea’s winter runs from December to February. It’s the quietest season for sightseeing, and the cheapest outside the holidays, but the cold is real. For how winter compares with the other seasons, see the best time to visit Korea.

How cold it really gets

Typical daily highs and lows in Seoul, rounded from the 1991–2020 normals. The Korea Meteorological Administration puts January, the coldest month, at an average of −1.9°C:

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Snow	Sunset (Seoul)
December	about 4°C	about −3°C	a few light falls	about 5:14–5:23 pm
January	about 2°C	about −5°C	most likely month	about 5:24–5:54 pm
February	about 5°C	about −3°C	a few light falls	about 5:55–6:24 pm

The averages hide the cold snaps. A Siberian high regularly sends morning lows below −10°C for a few days at a time, and the wind makes it feel several degrees colder. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issues a cold wave advisory when morning lows are forecast to stay at −12°C or below for two days or more, and a warning at −15°C. Seoul’s record lows are below −20°C.

What helps: it’s dry and often sunny. Seoul gets around 160–170 hours of sunshine a month in winter, and very little rain. The cold is worst early in the morning, near the Han River and on exposed spots like Namsan and N Seoul Tower.

Busan and Jeju are milder and usually stay above freezing during the day, but Jeju is windy.

What to wear and pack

Dress in layers. You’ll go from −8°C on the street to heated subway cars, shops and restaurants that feel warm.

• A long padded coat (Koreans call it a “long padding”), or a warm parka with a hood
• Thermal base layers (top and leggings)
• Hat, scarf and gloves: touchscreen gloves help with maps and payments
• Warm, grippy shoes: side streets and steps can be icy
• Lip balm and moisturizer: indoor heating plus dry air dries skin fast
• Hand warmers (hatpaek): sold cheaply in every convenience store

For a month-by-month checklist based on Seoul’s weather, use What to Pack.

Short days and warm rooms

Around the winter solstice the sun rises at about 7:43 am and sets at about 5:17 pm in Seoul, giving under 10 hours of daylight. Plan outdoor sights (palaces, hikes, walls) for late morning and early afternoon, and keep markets, museums, cafés and night views for the evening.

Korean homes, guesthouses and many hotels use ondol, underfloor heating. The floor itself gets warm, which is why people take shoes off and sit on the floor. A few tips:

• Rooms can feel very warm and dry. Look for the thermostat panel on the wall and turn it down if you overheat.
• A cup of water or a damp towel near the bed helps with the dry air.
• In traditional hanok stays you may sleep on a mattress (yo) on the heated floor.

Winter-only things to do

Skiing near Seoul

Korea’s ski season usually starts in late November or December and ends in March. For comparison, in 2025–26 Vivaldi Park opened on 5 December and Gonjiam on 10 December. The 2026–27 opening dates were not yet announced as of late October 2026.

Resort	Area	Getting there without a car
Gonjiam	Gwangju, Gyeonggi	About 40 minutes from Seoul; the closest big resort
Elysian Gangchon	Chuncheon, Gangwon	Baegyang-ri Station on the Gyeongchun Line (Seoul subway network) is next to the resort entrance
Vivaldi Park	Hongcheon, Gangwon	About 2 hours by ski shuttle packages sold by tour operators
Mona Yongpyong	Pyeongchang, Gangwon	Express bus from Seoul to Hoenggye; ski bus from Incheon Airport

Resorts closer to Seoul rely more on artificial snow. Yongpyong and the other Pyeongchang resorts are bigger and colder. Shuttle routes and fares change each season, so book on the resort’s official site. For other easy trips out of the city, see day trips from Seoul.

Ice fishing festivals (January)

The best known is the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Gangwon Province, where visitors fish for trout through holes in a frozen river, then have the catch grilled on the spot. It’s normally held in January. As of late October 2026, the 2027 dates are not officially confirmed (listings show 9–31 January 2027 as tentative). The county is also reviewing the fishing fee: it was ₩15,000, and a rise to about ₩25,000 for adults with a larger refund in local vouchers is under discussion. Check the official festival site before booking.

Lights, markets and skating in Seoul

Seoul runs a winter festival around central Seoul each year. The 2025–26 Seoul Winter Festa ran from 12 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 and included:

• The Seoul Lantern Festival along Cheonggyecheon Stream
• A Christmas market at Gwanghwamun Square (to 31 December)
• The Seoul Plaza ice rink (19 December to 8 February)
• The New Year’s Eve bell-ringing at Bosingak, which draws big crowds

The 2026–27 dates had not been officially announced as of late October 2026, but expect a similar December-to-early-January window.

Hot food

Winter is the season for food that warms you up: street snacks like hotteok (sweet filled pancakes), bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastries with red bean) and gun-goguma (roast sweet potatoes), plus bubbling stews such as budae-jjigae and kimchi-jjigae, and hot tteokguk (rice cake soup), the traditional New Year dish.

Seollal 2027: what changes

Seollal (Lunar New Year) is Korea’s biggest family holiday. In 2027 the public holiday runs Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 February (including a substitute day).

• Trains and buses: long-distance seats sell out fast. For Seollal 2026, Korail sold holiday tickets on 19–21 January, about four weeks ahead. The 2027 sales dates are not announced yet. Travel within Seoul is easy, as the city empties out.
• Shops and restaurants: many small, family-run places close for two or three days. Big department stores, chains and convenience stores mostly stay open.
• Palaces: in 2026 the four main palaces and Jongmyo Shrine were free and open every day of the holiday, then all closed the day after. Arrangements for 2027 aren’t announced.

Use Open or Closed? to check your dates, and see before you fly for booking reminders.

Pros and cons of a winter trip

Pros	Cons
Fewer crowds at palaces and markets	Mornings often below freezing, sometimes below −10°C
Dry, mostly sunny weather	Under 10 hours of daylight in December
Skiing within 2 hours of Seoul	Snow in Seoul is light and unreliable
Light festivals and Christmas markets	Seollal closures and sold-out trains
Cosy warm-food culture and heated floors	Parks and gardens look bare

Bottom line: winter suits city breaks, food trips and ski holidays. If you want flowers or long days outside, come in spring instead; see cherry blossoms 2027.