Fun Facts About First Snow In Korea And Seoul!
In this article, we will share to you all you need to know about Snow In South Korea and Seoul during Winter in Korea, does it snow in Korea and where to see it. Make sure you read it to the end to know all information concerning snow in Seoul and Winter Season in all of South Korea.
Many Koreans and tourist that live in South korea always waiting for the first snowfall especially in Seoul. Even though it might be really cold, yet many people go out to celebrate the first snow as known as ‘첫눈’, Cheot nun’ in Korean language. It is the same as the word in ‘첫사랑’ (first love), which just make it more romantic.
There are a lot of incredible snowy scenes in Seoul and all over South Korea waiting to be discovered by tourist and everyone in Korea. From the festivals, fireworks, as well as lights events always colored the winter and snow to make it just even more attractive.
Meaning Behind The First Snow
The first snow is a very romantic and deep moment for couple and those who are in relationship. Koreans believe that if they pray for something during the first snow, that wish will be granted. You might already saw or knew this from many korean dramas as they wish to meet on the first snow.
No doubt many people in korea propose or confess their love to someone special during the first snowfall as they believe it might lead them to be together forever.
Records of First Snowfall in Seoul
| 2011 | 11/22 |
| 2012 | 11/26 |
| 2013 | 11/18 |
| 2014 | 11/14 |
| 2015 | 11/25 |
| 2016 | 11/26 |
| 2017 | 11/17 |
| 2018 | 11/24 |
| 2019 | 11/18 |
| 2020 | 12/10 |
| 2021 | – |
First Snowfall Of Seoul 2021
From what we see on the record, we can expect the first snowfall in Seoul will happened in the first 2 weeks or middle of December 2021.
First Snowfall Of Korea 2021
According to the Seoraksan National Park Office, snow fell on the top of Seoraksan Mountain on October 19, 2021, and this is the first snowfall in Korea in 2021. The snow fell 15 days earlier than the first snowfall of last year, November 3, 2020.
On the same day, snowfall was also happened in Sobaeksan, Chungcheong-do, Pyeongchang-gun, and Gangwondo which is a sign of the coming of winter season.
This year, due to climate change, it seems like autumn seasons and the beautiful fall foliage will be gone early due to the drop in temperature. In Seoul alone, the recorded shows that the temperature even dropped to 1 degree celsius in mid October.
Winter Season in Seoul and South Korea
The winter season in Korea usually starts from late November and gonna lasts till early March or April depends on which part of Korea you will be in. As the winter in Korea can be quiet different in each regions. In the South of the country, like Busan and Jeju, winter is much shorter than in Seoul and Gangwon regions.
However, if you are more into hiking and mountain stuff, then you will realize that the snow and winter there is much more colder and longer compare to the city areas.
Does It Snow In Korea?
The answer for this question is definitely yes, as we all waiting for the first snowfall all over south Korea. However, I will give you better answer for this, the best months to enjoy the snow, or to see the first snow is on December and January. Usually during these months, the snow will stays on the street and still really fresh and soft.
Especially if you are action type of person, it’s perfect time for enjoy skiing, snowboarding or other winter games as well as enjoy winter festivals that happened all over the country like Hwacheon ice fishing festival, not to mention the beautiful garden of morning calm sceneries during winter season.
Does It Snow In Seoul?
The answer is also definitely yes for this, however there is major difference between the snow in Seoul and other areas. The difference is that the snow only last for a while, it’s because usually the roads, streets and pavement is always being cleanse day by day and they even use salt to makes the snow melts as soon as possible. They do this to prevent accident, as you know Seoul is a hectic and really active city.
However, there is a lot of place near Seoul you can go visit to enjoy the longer lasting snow like gyeonggi region, gangwon regions and incheon city. If you can’t go there during your visit, then you can go to the parks, and the palaces, usually they let the snow last there for tourist to enjoy the snow during winter season as they travel in South Korea.
How Cold Is the temperature during Winter In Korea?
As I told you earlier that the temperature might be different depends on the areas you are living in South Korea. However, what i can tell you is that Winter in Korea usually happens from November to March with the lowest temperatures is on January.
The temperature drops a lot during winter and it can falls below zero even in the evenings. The coldest temperature might be as cold as -20, but this one is quiet rare and usually only go that low at night on January.
The Weather during Winter seasons are usually dry and cold, so you might need some attributes on your clothes, body and home as well, like floor heater to mention one of them.
The general temperature of Winter in Seoul as well as South Korea is -5 ~ -10. However, most of indoor areas as well as indoor swimming pool in Korea are usually have heating system to keep you warm and still able to do the normal activities you like.
All of the public transportations, museums, shops, galleries, hotels, etc., turn the heating up to max to keep you warm. The good and both bad news is that it doesn’t rain and having much snowfall during winter seasons for you who loves to see it.
Click here to learn how korean beat the cold during winter season!
Best Places To See Snow In Seoul During Winter
Bukchon Hanok Village
Bukchon Hanok Village is a long time tourist favourite when it comes to attractions in Seoul. Honestly I personally doesn’t really impressed by Bukchon. However, I must admit that Bukchon is located really strategically among all other major attractions in Seoul, so it’s not a waste of time to come here and take a pictures.
Bukchon hanok village is a village full of hanok type building that has been preserved and restored, with all hyped cafe all around this areas. Usually tourist will rent hanbok and take a beautiful nice pictures here to feel as if they’re a royal living during Joseon era. No matter during winter season or summer season, this place is alwasy beautiful to behold.
If the snow gets too heavy or suddenly rain during your visit, you can be a cafe hopper and visit many delightful cafes all around here as well as tea rooms and experience more Korean traditional charm in a warm and comfortable atmosphere.
World Cup Park (Haneul Park)
Haneul Park is actually the highest peak of World Cup Park, it’s the same areas, it’s the best places to see tall, silvery reeds and pink leaves during autumn time. However, It’s also really beautiful to visit when the snow begins to fall in winter.
The reeds stay upright and alert throughout the winter, only weighed down when snow starts to form a crown on their wavy heads. The sight of millions of these reeds all topped with snow is just a great one.
Other than that, you can also enjoy the meta squaia lane in the Haneul Park. Met sequoia is a must visit all over Korea, just to take a beautiful picture of the day, especially during the snowfall.
Walk around Cheonggyecheon Stream during Snowfall
Cheonggyecheon areas is really nice to spent time just walking the long road while looking river flowing on the midst of the city.
Cheonggyecheon is an 11 km-long modern stream that runs through downtown Seoul. Created as part of an urban renewal project, Cheonggyecheon is a restoration of the stream that was once there before during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
The stream was covered with an elevated highway after the Korean War (1950-1953), as part of the country’s post-war economic development. Then in 2003, the elevated highway was removed to restore the stream to its present form today. The stream starts from Cheonggye Plaza, a popular cultural arts venue, and passes under a total of 22 bridges before flowing into the Hangang River, with many attractions along the way.
N Seoul Tower and Namsan Park
N Seoul Tower is always a great place to visit, either you come with couple to lock your love here, or you come alone just to enjoy the view of beautiful Seoul from the top of Namsan Seoul Tower.
On the way hike up to Namseon Seoul Tower, you’ll be treated to snow-covered fortress walls, snow-lined limbs of trees, and surrounding attractions.
If you doesnt like to walk up to this place, then you can use Bus, or even ride up the Namsan Cable car to get into the N Seoul tower. By this, you can get into N Seoul tower without spending time and a single sweat of your precious energy and still having the same pleasant looking all over central Seoul and Bukhansan National Park from the distance.
Seoul Forest
Seoul Forest is a hype area in the Seongsu-gu that has been known as the Central Park of Seoul. Other than that, Seoul forest is kind of a family park and pet friendly. So if you’re travelling with children and animals, or just want to see the animals around here then you can just come see the wild life here while still enjoying the snow sceneries all over the trees and frozen han river.
Historical Royal Palace in Seoul
Seoul Historical Royal Palace is always a good idea to visit no matter what season you are in during your travel, Watching the palace guards perform ceremonies, walk among the many walls and learn the historical royal cultures few centuries ago is always a good idea.
Other than that, the locations is in the center of Seoul, as close as it can be to cheonggycheon, bukchon and other tourist attractions just make this royal palaces even more worth to visit as we go to other destinations. These palaces provide beautiful architecture, OOTD and picoftheday spot, also chance to wear traditional Korean clothes hanbok just to make you feel to live back in history of south Korea.
The 5 Royal Palaces of South Korea are
- Gyeongbokgung Palace
- Changdeokgung Palace
- Changgyeonggung Palace
- Deoksugung Palace
- Gyeonghuigung Palace
Lotte World
Lotte World Theme Park in Jamsil is an indoor theme park with a lot of family games inside it. If you have children who loves to play, then Lotte world theme park might be your choice during winter seasons to spent happy time with family. However, if you doesn’t like it, then you still can just enjoy the scenery of the Seokchon lake nearby this place.
Best Place To See Snow In South Korea
Mountains and National Park
While mountain and national park would be good to visit in winter to really enjoy the snowy sceneries, the best winter mountains you might want to visit in Korea are:
- Taebaeksan Mountain
- Cheonwangbong Peak
- Hallasan Mountain
- Seoraksan Mountain
Garden of Morning Calm
The garden of morning calm is really beauty of nature in all it’s glory, you can experience all of nature feelings here. It is located in front of Chungryeongsan mountain in gyeonggi-do.
The garden was opened in 1996 by Professor Han Sang-kyung. Festivals with new installations are held every season to keep visitors coming back every quarter. The garden has 27 themed sections in total. The Sunken Garden, shaped like the Korean Peninsula to represent the desire for the reunion between the north and south Korea.
The garden houses more than 5,000 types of plants, of which 300 types are native to Baekdusan Mountain. Scenic walkways, including rows of pine trees, connect the different sections of the garden. Because the garden is so big, it’s handy to have the map downloaded to your phone so that you can find your way around easily.
Boseong Green Tea Plantation
Boseong Green Tea Fields located in the southern Jeollanam-do Province. This gorgeous fields of Daehan Daewon Green tea plantations in Boseong is definitely one of the best place to dive head-first into Korean tea culture. More than that, they serve up sscintillating vistas that are hard to beat other than provide you an immerse tea experience.
Arriving at the entrance, you’ll be greeted by towering pine and bamboo trees that create a really lush canopy above your head. Taking a walk up hill, you’ll find a lot of beautiful landscape as well as signage pointing out some famous korean dramas which have been shot here.
The plantations itself provides a really great visual for travelers and locals. With a steep, unending rows of tea bushes right next to each other on the hills, you must be well prepared with your camera.
Suwon Hwaseong Fortress
Hwaseong Fortress is an impressive structure from the latter part of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) and the official fortress of Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. The fortress, constructed from 1794 to 1796, was built as a display of King Jeongjo’s filial piety towards his father and to build a new pioneer city with its own economic power.
The fortress wall stretches for a total of 5.52km and has a great variety of military facilities that are hard to find anywhere else. Four gates face each of the cardinal directions—Janganmun (north), Paldalmun (south), Changnyongmun (east), and Hwaseomun (west)—and the seven-arch style Sumun gates straddle the point where the nearby stream reaches the palace. Above the Sumun gates is a pavilion called Hwahongmun.
Hwaseong Fortress was constructed under the guidance of Yu Hyeong-Won (1622-1673) and Jeong Yak-Yong (1762-1836), and is believed to have been constructed very scientifically. The fortress wall was built using Seokjae and Jeondol (bricks) and the holes between the bricks are just big enough to fire guns, arrows, or long spears through in case of an attack.
During construction of the fortress Jeong Yak-Yong invented ‘Geojunggi,’ which uses a ‘hwalcha’ (lever) to lift up heavy stones, greatly reducing construction time.
Nami Island
This is the time when the bride and groom will drink from the same copper cup. Either the bride and groom will drink from two separate halves of a gourd connected by a thread, from the same cup, or from a combination of both. The halves of the gourd symbolize that the bride and groom are becoming one whole entity.
In one tradition, the first sip from the copper cup represents the couple’s relationship with one another. The second sip is taken from the gourd cups, which are switched between the bride and groom after the second sip to represent an interchange. Finally, the groom and the bride bow together to show respect—to their parents, their ancestors, and their wedding guests.
Everland
Everland Resort entertains visitors through attractions in the five themed areas of Global Fair, American Adventure, Magic Land, Zootopia, and European Adventure. The amusement park is decorated according to different themed festivals throughout the year, including Tulip Festival, Rose Festival, Summer Splash, Halloween Festival, Romantic Illumination, and more.
One of the park’s most famous rides is T-Express, Korea’s first wooden roller coaster, popular among young visitors. Zootopia is a must-see as it spans over an area of 15,000 ㎡ and exhibits 2,000 animals. Lost Valley opened in 2013 and features the largest ecological safari world with tours by amphibious car to see 150 animals. A pair of giant pandas given by Chinese president Xi Jinping as a symbol of friendship between Korea and China can also be seen at Panda World.
Skiing Resort
If you wanna try something new while finding the snowy areas all over South Korea, then you can try Skiing in these resorts:
- Vivaldi Ski Resort
- High One Ski Resort
- Yongpyong Resort
- Welli Hilli
- Oak Valley
- Alpensia Ski Resort
Which of these place and activities you love the most? Let us know in the comment sections below!
