What type of weather do you like—or hate?  Think carefully, because Seoul has all types in extremes.  Though the city’s average temperature for a year is a deceiving mild fifty degrees, summers hit triple digit highs and winters bottom into the subzeroes.  

To make seasonal excesses even more so, summer residents suffer under severe humidity while winters are weathered by Siberian winds and fluctuating pressure systems.  It rains more in Seoul than in most other places in Korea, with most precipitation taking place in the monsoon season from late June to late July.  August is hot and sticky. Weather-wise, fall is optimal for visits, as temperatures are mild, rains are mostly finished, and the autumn skies don beautiful colors. Spring is also a nice time to visit the city.

The annual, city-sponsored “Hi Seoul Festival” takes place in May, as the capital shows itself off with parades, performing arts, music, tea, and other cultural sources of pride.  Otherwise, the majority of cultural events and activities occurring in Seoul revolve around transient museum exhibitions.  Be sure to check the city’s official website for these dates if you think the contents of an events calendar would frame your itinerary .