Gyeongju climate
Gyeongju (South Korea) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 14 °C57 °F, and about 1,186 mm47 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Gyeongju climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 541 | −129 | 235 | 361.4 | 20 |
| Feb | 745 | 033 | 439 | 441.7 | 13 |
| Mar | 1153 | 438 | 745 | 612.4 | 5 |
| Apr | 1762 | 847 | 1355 | 953.7 | 0 |
| May | 2271 | 1356 | 1763 | 953.7 | 0 |
| Jun | 2576 | 1864 | 2170 | 1265.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 2781 | 2272 | 2576 | 2268.9 | 0 |
| Aug | 2883 | 2374 | 2679 | 1927.6 | 0 |
| Sep | 2476 | 1967 | 2271 | 1586.2 | 0 |
| Oct | 2068 | 1457 | 1762 | 722.9 | 0 |
| Nov | 1457 | 745 | 1051 | 461.8 | 1 |
| Dec | 744 | 133 | 439 | 341.3 | 15 |
| Year | 2883 | −129 | 1457 | 1,18647 | 54 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75% | 55% | 2.6 | 9:59 |
| Feb | 71% | 60% | 3.2 | 10:50 |
| Mar | 70% | 57% | 4.1 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 71% | 58% | 4.9 | 13:03 |
| May | 73% | 62% | 5.4 | 14:03 |
| Jun | 77% | 73% | 4.9 | 14:34 |
| Jul | 84% | 73% | 4.6 | 14:22 |
| Aug | 82% | 66% | 4.7 | 13:30 |
| Sep | 80% | 67% | 3.8 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 73% | 54% | 3.5 | 11:12 |
| Nov | 73% | 51% | 2.7 | 10:13 |
| Dec | 75% | 52% | 2.4 | 9:44 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Gyeongju is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 28 °C83 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 5 °C41 °F and lows −1 °C29 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 24.2 °C43.6 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,186 mm47 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 49% of the annual total. The wettest month is July (226 mm8.9 in), the driest is December (34 mm1.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 70% in March to 84% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 51%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 12 km/h (7 mph) in June to 20 km/h (12 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 9.7 hours in December to 14.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Gyeongju
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and October: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 22 °C71 °F with 72 mm2.9 in to 95 mm3.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 5 °C41 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Gyeongju
- Winter (December–February) — highs 541 to 7 °C45 °F, lows −129 to 1 °C33 °F, about 38 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1153 to 22 °C71 °F, lows 438 to 13 °C56 °F, about 84 mm3.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2576 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1864 to 23 °C74 °F, about 181 mm7.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1457 to 24 °C76 °F, lows 745 to 19 °C67 °F, about 92 mm3.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Gyeongju compares
Compared with Pohang, about 25 km to the northeast, Gyeongju has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation.
Of the 34 places in South Korea covered by World Climates, Gyeongju is the 8th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 32nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the South Korea climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Iwaki (Japan, Cfa), Maebashi (Japan, Cfa) and Utsunomiya (Japan, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Pohang 25 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,186 mm47 in
- Ulsan 35 km · 15 °C59 °F · 1,322 mm52 in
- Daegu 56 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,201 mm47 in
- Yangsan 58 km · 13 °C56 °F · 1,342 mm53 in
- Gijang 67 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,520 mm60 in
- Changwon 84 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,488 mm59 in
- Busan 84 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,488 mm59 in
- Gumi 84 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,215 mm48 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Gyeongju?
August is the warmest month in Gyeongju, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Gyeongju?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 5 °C (41 °F) and an average low of -1 °C (29 °F).
When does it rain the most in Gyeongju?
July is the wettest month with about 226 mm (8.9 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 34 mm (1.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Gyeongju?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 120 m, while Gyeongju lies at about 45 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.5 °C0.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.