May marks the end of spring in South Korea and brings pleasant weather with it. Temperatures range from lows of 8°C (46°F) to highs of 24°C (75°F), depending on which part of the country you're in.
May falls in between the extremely busy month of April and the soon-to-be-busy summer month of June. Interestingly enough, Korea is not as busy during May. This means you can enjoy everything your South Korean trip has to offer without having to worry about large crowds and high prices.
Although the mornings and the evenings can be a little chilly, you won't need much more than a light jacket to stay warm. The days are markedly pleasant, but rains are to be expected.
As such, we recommend you keep it stylish and simple by including a few sweaters, pants, jeans, a pair of comfortable walking shoes, dress shoes, both formal and casual dresses, a few scarves, long and short-sleeved tops, a trusted raincoat or umbrella, and your daily essentials when packing for your trip to South Korea during May.
To get an in-depth understanding of what to expect insofar as weather conditions are concerned during May, keep reading below.
South Korea Weather in May: Overview
- Average temperature range: 8°C – 24°C (46°F – 75°F)
- Rainfall: 95 mm (4 inches) in Seoul; 119 mm (4.5 inches) Busan; 106 mm (4 inches) in Jeju.
- Rainy days: 7 in Seoul; 8 in Busan; 10 in Jeju.
May marks the end of spring in South Korea. Warm afternoons and plenty of sunlight can be expected on most days, but moderate to high amounts of rainfall will definitely be part of the weather make-up for the month.
The temperature varies depending on which part of the peninsula you are traveling to. For example, the capital city of Seoul will see average temperature highs of 17°C (63°F) and average lows of 8°C (46°F), whereas the capital of Jeju Island, Jeju, in the very south of the country, will see highs of 21°C (70°F) and lows of 13°C (55°F).
May is a good time to visit South Korea for both city-hopping or relaxing in nature.
Weather of South Korea's Major Cities in May
| City | Min. Temp | Max. Temp | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 8°C (46°F) | 17°C (63°F) | 95 mm (4 inches) |
| Busan | 14°C (57°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 119 mm (4.5 inches) |
| Jeju Island | 13°C (55°F) | 21°C (70°F) | 106 mm (4 inches) |
| Taean | 11°C (52°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 80 mm (3 inches) |
| Gyeongju | 14°C (57°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 85 mm (3.5 inches) |
| Daejeon | 11°C (52°F) | 24°C (75°F) | 84 mm (3.5 inches) |
| Incheon | 13°C (55°F) | 21°C (70°F) | 94 mm (3.5 inches) |
Best Places to Visit in South Korea in May
1. Damyang
A trip to Damyang in May is a must. The town is home to one of the biggest and most famous bamboo forests in the country, Juknokwon. The dense forest offers visitors to chance to hike and explore the wilderness, the likes of which very few travelers to South Korea choose to. The forest is absolutely massive, and you'll be left with an awe-inspiring appreciation for nature after your visit.
To get to Damyang from Seoul, you can catch a flight or take the train to Gwangju first. It takes about 2 hours to complete the journey by train. From Gwangju, you would then need to take a bus directly to Damyang/Juknokwon.
2. Jeju Island
Regardless of whether you're into hiking, biking, or just relaxing on the beach, Jeju Island has something for everyone. Hallasan National Park offers some terrific trails for hikers to explore whereas Hamdeok Beach close to Jeju City, the capital of Jeju Island, offers visitors the chance to relax and take in the good weather.
3. Seoul
The pleasant weather brings the capital to life. There's so much Seoul has to offer from the amazing food at Gwangjang Food Market, to the historically important DMZ or Demilitarized Zone shared between North and South Korea, to one of the oldest royal palaces, Gyeongbokgung.
May Crowds and Costs
Another brilliant reason to visit South Korea in May in addition to the pleasant weather is the fact that the country's not overly crowded. This is interesting because May falls in between one of the busiest months in the tourism calendar, April, and the beginning of the summer holidays in June. This circuit break between two very busy tourist months means you can enjoy South Korea's cities and islands without having huge hordes of tourists around, and without having to shell out unnecessarily high prices for accommodation, dining, or entertainment.
May Events in South Korea
Damyang Bamboo Festival: Celebrated annually during the month of May, the town of Damyang plays host to the world-famous Damyang Bamboo Festival. This festival is designed to celebrate the beauty of bamboo whilst also understanding the ecological value of the plant. We recommend attending some of the educational programs organized by the festival, before spending some time in Damyang town after the festival to visit their local attractions and understand the local way of life.
Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival: South Jeolla Province in the very southern tip of the South Korean mainland offers visitors the chance to see a phenomenon that is both beautiful and baffling in equal measure. The Jindo Miracle Sea Road is a near 3-kilometer-long road connecting two islands. The special thing about this road is that it is only visible for 1 hour twice a year – during the spring and fall equinoxes. This 'miracle' is a result of the extremely low tide, and makes for quite the splendid sight!
What to Wear in South Korea in May
The pleasant May weather in South Korea means you can keep your heavy coats and jackets back at home and trade them out for light jackets and sweaters, comfortable pants and jeans, both casual and formal dresses, a raincoat or umbrella, a trusted pair of comfortable walking shoes, dress shoes, a few light scarves.
While there is no need to pack your heavy warm weather clothing items for your May trip to south Korea, it is important to bear in mind that the morning and evenings can be little chilly, so very light summer clothes might not go the distance in making sure you're comfortable either.
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