Seoul Weather in January

January: cold, clear days

Seoul in January feels properly wintry. Days reach about 1°C, while nights fall to -7°C, so the cold can bite when you're outside. There's little rain, but you'll still want to keep outdoor sightseeing short. Gyeongbokgung Palace and the lanes of Bukchon are quieter in winter, though palace courtyards can feel exposed.

Warm up indoors at the National Museum of Korea or duck into a café in Insadong. A long walk along the Han River is less appealing in the cold. If you want snow, don't count on it: January is dry.

New Year and quieter streets

Bosingak Pavilion holds a famous bell-ringing ceremony on New Year's Eve, which runs into January 1. It draws a crowd around Jongno, so expect busy streets there that night. Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, can fall in January or February; if it does, some businesses close and travel gets busier.

For the rest of January, Seoul is generally quieter than in May or October, the best months overall. It's winter low season, so stays may cost less than during popular spring and autumn visits, though prices vary. If you hate crowds, visit Gyeongbokgung on a weekday.

Warm up like a local

Make a cold day easier with a bowl of seolleongtang, a mild beef-bone soup served in restaurants across Seoul. It's especially satisfying after walking around Jongno or Insadong.

For a practical warm-up, use the underground passages around Jonggak and Jongno 3-ga to move between subway stations and nearby shops without staying outside. They're useful when the cold gets to you, but don't mistake them for a scenic route. Check whether your chosen palace or museum is open before making it the day's main stop.