Does Winter Start In Korea: When

That night, Minjun wrote in his journal: Winter in Korea starts three times—by tradition on November 7 or 8, by astronomy on December 21 or 22, and by weather on December 1. But for Harabeoji, it starts the moment you put on your first pair of long underwear and hear the ajummas on the street say, ‘It’s really cold now.’

Minjun tilted his head. “Two winters?” when does winter start in korea

Then, on December 22, they stood on a bridge over the Han River in Seoul. The thermometer read minus six Celsius. “And today,” Harabeoji said, “the sun reaches its lowest point. From now, the light slowly returns. That is also winter’s beginning.” That night, Minjun wrote in his journal: Winter

His grandfather explained: according to the lunar calendar, winter begins around the start of Lidong (입동)—usually November 7 or 8. That’s when farmers traditionally prepared kimchi and stored root vegetables. But by the solar calendar used in schools, winter began at the solstice. And by feeling? Winter in Korea truly starts when the first Siberian wind sweeps down from Manchuria, usually in late November, turning the golden ginkgo leaves to dust overnight. The thermometer read minus six Celsius

His grandfather smiled. “No. Winter starts when you decide to notice it. In Korea, it arrives like a quiet guest—first as a whisper in November, then as a promise in December. But if you really want one answer for your friends?” He tapped Minjun’s notebook. “Tell them: meteorological winter in Korea begins December 1. That’s what weather forecasters use. Average temperatures drop below freezing, and the first snow usually falls in Seoul around mid-December.”