Busan weather in December

In December, Busan sees average daytime highs of 10°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 33 mm of precipitation across 4.1 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 12°C in the first days to 9°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 48 min at the start of December to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Busan's 1st-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Busan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10°
10th warmest
Overnight low
3rd coldest
Precipitation
33 mm
4.1 wet days
Daylight
9 h 36 min
7:31 AM – 5:10 PM
Cloud cover
38%
1st clearest
Wind
23 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.64 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.7
out of 10

Busan is metropolitan city of South Korea.

Air quality
Elevated
PM2.5 17 µg/m³ · 2020
Density
4,267/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 12°C in the first days to 9°C by the end.

A typical December day in Busan reaches about 10°C in the afternoon and slips back to 6°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 5°C and 14°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1128
2128
3128
4127
5117
6117
7117
8117
9116
10116
11106
12106
13106
14106
15106
16105
17105
18105
1995
2095
2195
2295
2395
2495
2595
2695
2794
2894
2994
3094
3184

How December really feels in Busan

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 5 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
5
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Busan weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 374.79.91.4
Feb / 475.110.72.0
Mar12° / 897.911.73.2
Apr15° / 12°1218.112.94.7
May18° / 16°1307.613.86.1
Jun21° / 19°1679.314.36.4
Jul25° / 23°22811.814.16.4
Aug27° / 25°18111.113.36.5
Sep24° / 22°1598.812.27.0
Oct20° / 17°724.511.17.4
Nov15° / 11°525.410.25.3
Dec10° / 334.19.72.7

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in December, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16832
26733
36832
46832
56832
66832
76931
87030
97030
107030
117030
127030
137030
147030
157030
167030
177030
187030
197030
207030
217129
227129
237129
247129
257228
267327
277327
287327
297228
307327
317327

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Busan gets around 33 mm of rain and snow over 4.1 wet days in December, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 13% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
217
317
417
516
616
716
815
915
1014
1114
1214
1313
1413
1513
1613
1712
1812
1912
2012
2112
2212
2311
2411
2511
2611
2711
2811
2911
3011
3112

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in December

Winds average 23 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 22 km/h on the calmest days to 24 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
322breezy
422breezy
522breezy
622breezy
722breezy
822breezy
922breezy
1022breezy
1122breezy
1222breezy
1323breezy
1423breezy
1523breezy
1623breezy
1723breezy
1823breezy
1923breezy
2023breezy
2123breezy
2223breezy
2323breezy
2423breezy
2524breezy
2624breezy
2724breezy
2824breezy
2924breezy
3024breezy
3124breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 48 min at the start of December to 9 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:19 AM to 7:37 AM, and sunset from 5:08 PM to 5:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.87:195:08
29.87:205:08
39.87:215:08
49.87:225:08
59.77:235:08
69.77:245:08
79.77:245:08
89.77:255:08
99.77:265:08
109.77:275:08
119.77:275:08
129.77:285:08
139.77:295:09
149.77:295:09
159.77:305:09
169.67:315:10
179.67:315:10
189.67:325:10
199.67:325:11
209.67:335:11
219.67:335:11
229.67:345:12
239.67:345:12
249.67:355:13
259.67:355:13
269.67:365:14
279.67:365:15
289.67:365:15
299.77:365:16
309.77:375:16
319.77:375:17

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.64 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.64 kWh/m² to a high of 5.88 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 2.64 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.7Moderate
22.6Moderate
32.6Moderate
42.6Moderate
52.6Moderate
62.6Moderate
72.6Moderate
82.6Moderate
92.6Moderate
102.6Moderate
112.6Moderate
122.6Moderate
132.6Moderate
142.6Moderate
152.6Moderate
162.6Moderate
172.6Moderate
182.6Moderate
192.6Moderate
202.6Moderate
212.6Moderate
222.7Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.8Moderate
302.8Moderate
312.8Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Busan

In seasonPeak

In December, Busan sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Busan sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Busan's rainy season runs April–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Busan?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

2.7
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Busan.

What to pack for Busan in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Busan sees daytime highs around 10°C and nights near 6°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a windbreaker. About 4 days see rain.

a warm layera windbreaker

Sea temperature near Busan in December

The nearest coast averages about 17°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 26°C and coldest in February near 14°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 17 to Nov 7 — about 4.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan15Bracing
Feb14Bracing
Mar14Bracing
Apr15Bracing
May17Cool
Jun20Refreshing
Jul23Refreshing
Aug26Warm
Sep25Warm
Oct22Refreshing
Nov19Cool
Dec17Cool

UV index in Busan in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Busan peaks around August 18 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highModerateAug 18UV 9Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Busan in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Busan is worst in March — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.6× the cleanest month (August, 13 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Busan's WHO annual average of 17 µg/m³.

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMar 2121 µg/m³Aug 1913 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan16Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar21Moderate
Apr21Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul14Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Busan?

Busan sits at 35.1°N, 129.0°E, 15 m above sea level, in South Korea. The nearest listed city is Kimhae, 20 km away.

ChangwonUngsangGeojeSinhyeonKyosai

Topography around Busan

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Busan.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Busan has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 485 m around an average of 75 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 636 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,204 m.

The land around Busan is covered by artificial surfaces (50%), trees (26%) and water (21%) within 3 km, water (51%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 16 km, and water (53%) and trees (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
485 m
16 km
636 m
80 km
1,204 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Kimhae 20 km · Gijang 23 km · Yangsan 27 km · Changwon 35 km · Ungsang 36 km · Geoje 44 km · Sinhyeon 44 km · Kyosai 49 km

South Korea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 57% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$36,227
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.5
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
8.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 522
Religion
none 60%Protestant 17%Buddhist 16%Catholic 6%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Busan (35.1017°, 129.03°, elevation 15 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).