Summer is widely considered to be the worst time to visit South Korea. It starts with jangma, or monsoon season, which brings heavy rain and warm days starting in late June or early July. Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about extreme monsoons here, but you can expect some torrential rains. More than half of the country’s annual rainfall comes from June to late August, with the wettest month being the former. So, steer clear of June if you want to avoid most of the rain.

Fortunately, no matter where you are in South Korea, there are beaches or mountains (or both) close at hand for a summer escape. Get out of the city and explore Seoraksan National Park, the surfing town Yangyang or far-flung islands such as Jumun-do, off the Incheon coast.

Summer also brings a wide range of festivals to the peninsula, and Korea’s two major pro sports leagues – the Korea Baseball Organization and the K League soccer tournament – are in full swing.

Not to be outdone by spring, fall promises its own spectacle of lights, colors, and festivals. If not the prime time for a visit to South Korea, the autumn months still offer an enticing display for your vacation.

Koreans call fall the “season for reading,” and it’s an ideal time to grab a book and spend some time enjoying the country’s terrific cafe scene, hopping from one impeccably designed coffee shop to the next. In fact, fall is the season for art all around, with the world-class Jarasum Jazz Festival and Busan International Film Festival taking place in Gapyeong and Busan respectively.

Winter in South Korea is long, which is good news for fans of winter sports and ski resorts. Despite the freezing temperatures, the long winter isn’t without its charms, and outdoor activities abound to keep visitors entertained. For those who consider winter the best time to travel, you can’t go wrong with a visit to South Korea as it dons its winter coat.

Mountainous Gangwon-do Province gets the most snow. The 2018 Winter Olympics brought international attention to Korea’s winter sports venues, most of which are in Gangwon-do. While the crowds thin out elsewhere, as with any hub for recreation in this densely populated country, the ski slopes can get a lot more crowded than visitors from Europe or North America will be used to.

Winter brings celebrations for Christmas and New Year’s, a holiday so nice Koreans celebrate it twice – once on January 1 and once on the Lunar New Year, when families gather and share traditional foods. Foodies will also be rewarded for making an off-season visit – winter is when Korea’s hearty, soup-centric cuisine is at its most satisfying.