Visiting Korea in June | Weather, What to Wear + Best Festivals [UPDATED 2023]

Compared to the frenetic pace of cherry blossom festivals in April, and spring events in May, Korea in June is relatively quiet. It almost feels like the calm before the storm, both literal and figurative, before heavy monsoon rains begin and the hectic summer tourism season starts in earnest.

Korea in June is like the calm before the storm.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• what the June weather in Korea is like
• the Seoul weather in June and other major cities and tourist hotspots, including Busan, Jeju, Gangneung and the East Coast
• the best summer festivals to attend in Korea in June
• what to wear and the best things to pack for a successful trip to Korea in June

Visiting Korea in June

If you can make it to Korea in June, it’s a great time to visit with the most comfortable weather of the summer, and a lull in tourist numbers.

Summer vacations haven’t started yet in much of the world, so it’s easier to book good value accommodation in popular neighbourhoods like Myeongdong and Hongdae, festivals and attractions are a little less crowded, and you’ll avoid major queues at the airport.

You might even get popular streets in Bukchon Hanok Village to yourself in June.

In June, it starts to get hot and humid, but it’s still decent enough to explore without struggling too much, especially in the first 2 weeks of the month. It’s undoubtedly the best time to see places in relative comfort and peace, before the weather becomes overly oppressive in July and August.

READ NEXT: The 7 Best Areas in Seoul for Travellers EXPLAINED

Korea in June | Weather

June in Korea is a shoulder month, as spring transitions fully into summer. During daylight hours, average high temperatures remain relatively stable over the course of the month, only varying by a couple of degrees, from 25°C | 77°F to 27°C | 81°F.

Lotuses are in full bloom in Korea from late June © Kim Jiho, Korea Tourism Organization

The Korea weather in June is somewhat comfortable for the first few weeks, since it still cools down at night to around 20°C | 60°F.

In the middle of June in Korea though, humidity levels start to rise. By the end of the month, humidity is sitting at 54%, and overall precipitation also increases. This is a small taste of what the next 2 months of summer in Korea will bring, weather-wise.

READ NEXT: How to Survive a Super-Sticky, Scorching Summer in Seoul

Korea in June | Seoul Weather

It’s quite hot in Seoul in June, with relatively high humidity, and a “real feel” temperature close to 30°C | 86°F. The average high temperature increases 4°C | 5°F from May, reaching up to 27°C | 81°F in June.

The rooftop of Seoulism Cafe has a tropical feel in summer.

It rains for about 10 days of the month, but the longest days of the year in Korea are also in June. The sun is super strong, and you’ll burn fast if you’re fair-skinned, so be sure to apply sunscreen or wear a hat before you head outdoors.

* Personal note: it seems to be getting hotter, earlier every year, so while these are historical averages, I’d prepare for the climate to potentially be a lot hotter. I’m writing this in the last week of May and it’s already reaching daytime highs of 30°C | 86°F here in Seoul. Still cool in the evenings though.

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Korea Weather in June | Busan

June is a great month to visit Busan, before temperatures climb too high and summer beach season sees crowds descend upon the city’s beaches in force.

Busan is located on the southeastern coast of Korea, so it’s one of the cooler cities of Korea in June. It has average daily high temperatures of 23°C | 73°F to 25°C | 77°F, and an average humidity of 80%. Yes, that sounds horrible, but with fresh sea breezes and a slightly lower temperature, it usually feels more comfortable than landlocked Seoul.

Head to Busan beaches in June if you want to avoid this © Live Studio, Korea Tourism Organization

June is a little wet, with an average of 9 days of rain per month, totalling approximately 72-mm of precipitation, but there’s not much worry about flooding or typhoons like in the other summer months.

There’s quite a bit of cloud cover in Busan in June, but that doesn’t mean that you’re safe from UV rays. Be cautious, especially if you’re prone to burning easily.

June is a good month to explore sights like the Oryukdo Skywalk in comfort © Kim Jiho, Korea Tourism Organization

Korea Weather in June | Gangneung (East Coast)

The Korea weather in June on the East Coast beaches is typically a bit cooler than in the interior. Gangneung in June has average temperatures around 22°C | 72°F. In my experience. it can feel cooler than that, especially if it’s windy, so be prepared with some heavier weight clothing for evening hours.

It’s usually too cold for swimming on the East Coast of Korea in June © Kim Jiho, Korea Tourism Organization

There’s about 11 days of rain in Gangneung and area in June, and the sea temperature is a chilly 19°C | 66°F. It’s definitely too cold for swimming in Korea in June (for most people).

Korea Weather in June | Jeju Island

If you’re visiting Jeju at the beginning of June, you’ll be treated to some of the most pleasant weather of the year, with average high temperatures of 22°C | 72°F, 15% humidity, and sunny skies.

Gorgeous hydrangea on Jeju Island © Lee Sang-woon, Korea Tourism Organization

As the month progresses though, temperatures increase to a still pleasant 26°C | 79°F, but humidity reaches a soaring 78% and there’s more chance of rain, wind, and cloudy skies.

Despite this, the sea temperature is still a bit cool for swimming unless you like colder water. The best time for swimming on beaches like Hamdeok is August.

The seas around Jeju are on the cooler side in June © Park Dong-cheol

It’s important to note that Jeju is one of the areas of Korea that’s most often affected by summer typhoons. Be sure to check weather reports before planning any trip to Jeju Island in the summer months.

Korea in June | Public Holidays 2023

There is 1 major national public holidays in Korea in June 2023: Memorial Day on Tuesday June 6th.

Memorial day commemorates veterans who have defended Korea © Jeon Han, Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (CC BY-SA 2.0)

These are days off for most Koreans, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have trouble finding things to do. All tourist sites and restaurants will be open to the public, and there’ll be a ton of special events planned, particularly for Memorial Day (현충일).

Book hotels early if you plan to travel around public holidays in Korea in June.

If you’re planning to travel around South Korea near these dates, it’s very important that you book transport and accommodation as far in advance as possible. With 25 million people potentially traveling out of Seoul at the exact same time, trains, buses and the best hotels in the best neighbourhoods get booked up fast.

Limited Edition Summer Tours in Korea

Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of the scorching heat with activities at water parks, beaches, and on boats. From gorgeous lotus flowers to a beach full of mud, there’s a ton of unique events and festivals designed just for the hot, hot summer months in Korea.

Lotuses only bloom during the hot, steamy months in Korea.

• Dolphin Spotting on a Jeju Gimnyeong Yacht Cruise | May 10th – September 9th, 2023
• Jarasum Namdo Flower Festival + Nami Island + Alpaca Ranch | May 26th – July 1st, 2023
• Club Nine Water Park Day Tour | June 1st – September 28th, 2023
• In the SOOP BTS Tour | June 2nd – August 27th, 2023
• SBS M&C Overnight Sunrise EDM Party on Nine Beach in Donghae | June 3rd – August 26th, 2023
• World DJ Festival | June 2nd – 4th 2023
• Lotte Family K-Pop Concert | June 16th – 18th, 2023
• Buyeo Lotus Flower Festival + Jeonju Hanok Villlage | July 10th – 28th, 2023
• Boryeong Mud Festival, Daecheon Beach + Suspension Bridge | July 21st – August 4th, 2023
• Boryeong Mud Festival | July 21st – August 26th, 2023

The Boryeong Mud Festival is summer’s most popular festival! © Jeong Sung-joo, Korea Travel Organization

Korea in June | Best Festivals and Events

I feel like there’s a very slight pause in the hectic festival schedule in Korea in June. It’s as if people are saving their energy for the incredible variety of events coming up for the busy summer months of July and August. Not to worry though – even at its quietest months, Korea is still the Queen of festivals!

There’s always something happening in Korea!

To see weather and festivals for other months in Korea, check the following guides:

• Korea in January: The Coldest Month of the Year
• Korea in February: The Final Month of Winter
• Korea in March: The First Signs of Spring
• Korea in April: Chasing Cherry Blossoms
• Korea in May: In Full Bloom
• Korea in July: The Peak of Summer
• Korea in August: Summer Vacation for EVERYONE!
• Korea in September: Autumn Relief
• Korea in October: Full on Fall Foliage
• Korea in November: Autumn to Winter Transition
• Korea in December: Christmas Lights Galore

There are events and festivals all year round in Korea.

READ NEXT: 21 Awesome Things to do in Seoul at Night

Yongsugol Red Poppy Festival | 용수골꽃양귀비축제

Festival Dates: May 19th – June 6th, 2023

Address: 1632-1, Seogok-ri, Panbu-myeon, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do | 강원 원주시 판부면 용수골길 326

Red poppy fields are a bit rare in Korea, but they’re a sight to behold if you should stumble upon one. Head to the Yongsugol Red Poppy Festival in Wonju, and you can admire a never ending 41,000 square metre landscape of delicate crimson flowers.

Poppies bloom for a brief moment in time in early summer.

If you can’t make it to Wonju, some other notable places to see poppies in Korea in June are Sangdong Lake Park in Bucheon, Hadong Bukcheon in Gyeongsangnam-do, Simhak Mountain in Paju, and Olympic Park in Seoul. I’ve also seen them scattered around the Hangang River Parks.

More details on the Yongsugol Red Poppy Festival here (only in Korean).

Herb One Lavender Festival | 정읍 허브원 라벤더 축제

Festival Dates: May 26th – June 30th, 2023

Address: 188-29, Guryang1-gil, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do | 전북 정읍시 구량1길 188-29

The lavender fields at Herb One Cafe in Jeollabuk-do Province are the largest in Korea. Breathe in their heady fragrance, frolic through purple fields, and indulge in some pretty purple ice cream.

Lovely lavender ice cream.

I recommend visiting during the latter half of the festival dates to enjoy fuller fields of flowers.

More details on the Herb One Lavender Festival here (only in Korean).

World DJ Festival | 월드디제이페스티벌

Festival Dates: June 2nd – 4th, 2023

Address: 181, Gwangmyeong-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do | 경기도 과천시 광명로 181 (막계동)

The World DJ Festival is back in June in Korea at a brand new venue. Groove to a wide range of EDM genres, from house to trance to hardcore, with thousands of other partiers – which I’m guessing is a whole lot more fun, then doing it solo in your living room.

More details on the World DJ Festival here.

BTS Festa | BTS 페스타

Festival Dates: June 12th – 25th, 2023

Address: All over Seoul

ARMY rejoice! To mark their 10th Anniversary, K-pop supergroup BTS will be taking over the entire city of Seoul in June, with incredible events, displays, celebrations, and more.

BTS Festa takes over Seoul in June.

During BTS Festa, major landmarks like the Some Sevit Floating Islands at Banpo Hangang Park, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul City Hall, and Namsan Tower will be bathed in purple, and an ARMY Road will be created for fans.

A new BTS digital single, called “Take Two,” will be released on Friday, June 9th.

Be sure to head to Yeouido Hangang Park on June 17th for the main events, including a fireworks show at 8:30 to 9:00PM, and a special RM hosted meet and greet in the ARMY lounge for a lucky few ARMY fan club members. I purple you!

Get full details on their website (looks like it’s still in the process of being updated).

The BTS bus stop is in Gangneung at Jumunjin Beach.

Gangneung Danoje Festival | 강릉단오제

Festival Dates: June 18 – 25th, 2023

Address: 1, Danojang-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do | 강원도 강릉시 단오장길 1

After 3 long years, the UNESCO inscribed Gangneung Danoje Festival is back in Korea in June. This event has been celebrated for over 1000 years to welcome the gods and pray for a good harvest, using Confucian, Shamanistic and Buddhist rituals.

The Gangneung Danoje Festival is 1000 years old © IR Studio

Starting with the brewing of sacred liquor, and continuing with various rituals utilizing sacred objects, there’s also a Gwanno mask drama, oral narrative poetry, and Odokddegi folk songs. Events take place in various locations around Gangneung, including Daegwallyeong Ridge, and the Namdaecheon.

Danoje Festival © Jeon Han, Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Be sure to stop into the Nanjang market, which is Korea’s largest outdoor marketplace, to explore local products and handicrafts and see fun contests, games and circus performances.

More details on their website.

Hueree Summer Hydrangea Festival | 휴애 여름 수국축제

Festival Dates: TBA for 2023, but June 10th – July 20th last year

Address: 256, Sillyedong-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do | 제주특별자치도 서귀포시 남원읍 신례동로 256

Hueree Natural Park is located near Hallasan Mountain, and offers beautiful gardens, seasonal festivals, and a number of experiential activities. This is one of the most popular places to visit in Jeju for locals and tourists alike.

Gorgeous hydrangeas at Hueree Natural Park in Jeju.

During Hueree Summer Hydrangea Festival, soak in the beauty of hundreds of hydrangeas in a rainbow of colours. When you tire of the flowers (if that’s possible), try feeding baby pigs, rabbits, squirrels, and black goats, or go for a leisurely stroll through a pine forest of full of volcanic stone towers.

Lotte Family Concert | 롯데패밀리 콘서트

Festival Dates: June 16th – 18th, 2023

Address: 424 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul | 서울 송파구 올림픽로 424 올림픽공원

The Lotte Family Concert is a yearly event, that features incredible performances from the biggest names in K-POP. The concert takes place over 3 days at the KSPO Dome in Olympic Park in Jamsil.

Performers for 2023 include: NCT Dream, Stray Kids, aespa, STAYC, ENHYPHEN,and many more. Check the full line-up and grab tickets here.

Toechon Tomato Festival | 퇴촌 토마토축제

Festival Dates: June 16th – 18th, 2023

Address: 104-7, Ori-gil, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do | 경기도 광주시 퇴촌면 오리길 104-7 일원

If you’ve ever wanted to bathe in a tub full of juicy tomatoes, you’ll get your chance at the Toechon Tomato Festival.

This pic is from the famous La Tomatina Festival in Spain, but you get the idea © flydime (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Taking place every year in Gwangju (the one near Seoul, not the one in Jeollanam-do), this festival celebrates the delicious tomato, with tomato harvesting, tomato wars and other tomato-related events.

READ NEXT: How to See the Guinness World Record Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain

Waterbomb Seoul | 워터밤

Festival Dates: June 30th – July 2nd, 2023

Address: Jamsil Sports Complex, 25, Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul | 서울특별시 송파구 올림픽로 25 (잠실동)

The WATERBOMB Festival in Seoul is the first of 4 WATERBOMB events across Korea this summer (the rest happen in July and August). Featuring live performances from K-POP stars and DJs, a tropical lounge, and massive exploding water cannons, you can expect to see Jessi, La Chica, CL, Zico, Jay Park, SunMi and many others at the Seoul festival.

The highlight of WATERBOMB is a crazy water gun battle between green and yellow teams, where you fight along your favourite celebs. WATERBOMB is a 19+ event, that’s definitely not suitable for young children, as you can see from the video (don’t watch if flashing lights bother you).

Check the line-up and get tickets here.

5tardium EDM Festival

Festival Dates: TBA for 2023, but usually last weekend of June

Address: Nanji Hangang Park, 162, Hangangnanji-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul | 서울특별시 마포구 한강난지로 162난지한강공원

The 5tardium EDM Festival has a unique pentagon shaped stage that surrounds the entire audience and creates an amazing atmosphere. World famous DJs, like Markus Schulz and Illenium have headlined here, so you can expect incredible sets of music, along with laser shows, fireworks, LED lights, and more.

5tardium is an epic EDM festival that happens in June in Korea.

More details here.

READ NEXT: 5 Easy Ways to get from Incheon Airport to Myeongdong

Korea in June | What to Wear

Korea’s weather in June is a little schizophrenic. At the beginning of the month, you could get away with longer length pants and lighter weight shirts if you’re someone that’s usually cold. However, by the end of the month, I don’t know many people who aren’t struggling under the weight of the combined heat and humidity.

You’ll definitely need shorts and t-shirts by the end of June in Korea.

Shorts, skirts, tees, and anything lighter weight work well to deal with the climate in Korea in June. Unless you want to stand out a lot (and not in a good way), I wouldn’t wander around the city streets shirtless or just wearing a tank top.

Bring along a hoodie, cardigan or light jacket for potential cooler evening temperatures and wind at the beginning of the month. It can feel downright chilly at times after the sun has gone down.

It can still feel a bit chilly at night in Korea in June, especially if you’re next to the sea.

There is some precipitation, but not really enough to worry about, unless you’re visiting in the last few weeks of June. This is when the bulk of rainfall happens, as we head into summer monsoon season.

It’s also helpful to have waterproof shoes, sandals, or quick-dry clothing. I wouldn’t recommend wearing a raincoat during the day, in June in Korea, as it would be quite hot and uncomfortable.

An umbrella is better than a raincoat in Korea in June.

Ikseon-dong in Seoul is ready for the rain in June © Lee Bumsu, Korea Tourism Organization

Visiting Korea in June | Packing List

Here’s a rough guideline of items to pack for the Korea weather in June.

Korea in June | Bring from Home

• travel documents: passport, itineraries, hotel reservations, plane tickets, travel visas, insurance
• adaptor / plug
• t-shirts, lightweight sweaters, hoodies, cardigans
• lightweight pants
• shorts, capris
• skirts or dresses
• swimsuit, rashguard, goggles, swimcap if you plan to brave the water or a swimming pool
• light jacket, windbreaker or waterproof shell
• sunglasses
• deodorant, feminine hygiene items
• comfortable running shoes or sandals for lots of walking (water resistant shoes are good at this time of year)
• any special medications you need

Buy in Korea

• umbrella if it rains
• disposable masks
• skincare products like sunscreen (high quality and cheap in Korea!)

You definitely be ready for the beach by the end of June in Korea © Live Studio, Korea Tourism Organization

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All ready for the perfect trip to Korea in June? What have you got planned?