Gyeongju weather in January

In January, Gyeongju sees average daytime highs of 6°C and overnight lows near -3°C, with 29 mm of precipitation across 4.3 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 6°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Gyeongju's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gyeongju's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12th warmest
Overnight low
-3°
1st coldest
Precipitation
29 mm
4.3 wet days
Daylight
9 h 48 min
7:38 AM – 5:27 PM
Cloud cover
40%
2nd clearest
Wind
13 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
2.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.6
out of 10

Gyeongju is city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.

Founded
~57 BCE

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

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 6°C through the month.

A typical January day in Gyeongju reaches about 6°C in the afternoon and slips back to -3°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 1°C and 10°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C cooler than December and about 2°C cooler than February.

-10°-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
17-2
27-2
36-2
46-2
56-2
66-2
76-2
86-2
96-2
106-2
116-2
126-2
136-2
146-2
156-2
166-2
176-2
186-3
196-3
206-3
216-3
226-3
236-3
246-3
256-3
266-3
276-3
286-3
296-3
306-2
317-2

How January really feels in Gyeongju

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 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
31
wind chill below the day's low

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

Gyeongju weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -3°294.319.80.6
Feb / -1°344.81.110.61.8
Mar13° / 657.40.811.74.0
Apr19° / 797.40.112.96.4
May24° / 13°887.5013.97.2
Jun26° / 18°1309.2014.46.5
Jul29° / 22°20013.5014.25.0
Aug29° / 23°20513.9013.44.7
Sep25° / 18°16210012.26.6
Oct21° / 12°675.2011.17.3
Nov15° / 4250.110.15.1
Dec / -1°253.40.49.61.8

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 32%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27426
37327
47327
57228
67129
77129
87030
96931
106832
116634
126634
136535
146535
156535
166535
176535
186436
196436
206535
216535
226634
236634
246733
256733
266832
276832
286931
296931
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Gyeongju gets around 29 mm of rain and snow over 4.3 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 14% and peaks near 16% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1102
2102
3103
4113
5113
6113
7123
8123
9134
10144
11144
12154
13154
14154
15164
16164
17164
18164
19164
20164
21163
22163
23163
24153
25153
26153
27143
28143
29133
30134
31134

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January 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 (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in January

Winds average 13 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:38 AM to 7:31 AM, and sunset from 5:15 PM to 5:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.67:385:15
29.67:385:15
39.67:385:16
49.67:395:17
59.67:395:18
69.77:395:18
79.77:395:19
89.77:395:20
99.77:395:21
109.77:395:22
119.77:395:22
129.77:395:23
139.87:385:24
149.87:385:25
159.87:385:26
169.87:385:27
179.87:385:28
189.97:375:29
199.97:375:30
209.97:375:31
219.97:365:32
229.97:365:33
2310.07:365:34
2410.07:355:35
2510.07:355:36
2610.07:345:37
2710.17:345:38
2810.17:335:39
2910.17:325:40
3010.27:325:41
3110.27:315:42

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.63 kWh/m² to a high of 5.89 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.93 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.8Moderate
22.8Moderate
32.8Moderate
42.8Moderate
52.8Moderate
62.8Moderate
72.8Moderate
82.8Moderate
92.8Moderate
102.8Moderate
112.8Moderate
122.8Moderate
132.8Moderate
142.8Moderate
152.8Moderate
162.9Moderate
172.9Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.9Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
223.0Moderate
233.0Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.1Moderate
263.1Moderate
273.2Moderate
283.2Moderate
293.3Moderate
303.3Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Gyeongju

In seasonPeak

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

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

Gyeongju's rainy season runs June–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 January a good time to visit Gyeongju?

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

0.6
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Gyeongju.

What to pack for Gyeongju in January

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

In January, Gyeongju sees daytime highs around 6°C and nights near -3°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat. About 4 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Gyeongju in January

The nearest coast averages about 14°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 37 km away) is warmest in August at about 25°C and coldest in February near 13°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 23 to Nov 2 — about 4.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan14Bracing
Feb13Bracing
Mar13Bracing
Apr14Bracing
May16Cool
Jun19Cool
Jul22Refreshing
Aug25Warm
Sep24Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov19Cool
Dec16Cool

UV index in Gyeongju in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gyeongju peaks around August 16 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 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 highVery highModerateAug 16UV 9Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun6High
Jul8Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Gyeongju in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Gyeongju is worst in March — around 66 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.9× the cleanest month (August, 34 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorUnhealthyPoorPoorMar 1865 µg/m³Aug 1535 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan51Poor
Feb57Unhealthy
Mar66Unhealthy
Apr60Unhealthy
May55Poor
Jun47Poor
Jul37Poor
Aug34Moderate
Sep39Poor
Oct47Poor
Nov56Unhealthy
Dec47Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Gyeongju?

Gyeongju sits at 35.8°N, 129.2°E, 45 m above sea level, in South Korea. The nearest listed city is Yeonil, 20 km away.

UlsanHayangGyeongsan-siUngsang

Topography around Gyeongju

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Gyeongju has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 288 m around an average of 59 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 814 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,201 m.

The land around Gyeongju is covered by artificial surfaces (35%), trees (28%) and cropland (23%) within 3 km, trees (70%) within 16 km, and trees (54%) and water (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
288 m
16 km
814 m
80 km
1,201 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Yeonil 20 km · Pohang 25 km · Eisen 29 km · Heunghae 32 km · Ulsan 35 km · Hayang 36 km · Gyeongsan-si 43 km · Ungsang 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 Gyeongju (35.8428°, 129.2117°, elevation 45 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).