page_title: Geography of Korea
section_title: Climate
hierarchical_section_title: Geography of Korea / Climate
caption_attribution_description: English: Natural-colour view of the Korean Peninsula. East of Seoul, clusters of small white clouds cast shadows onto the surface below. But most of the white on the peninsula is snow.
context_page_description: Korea is located on the Korean Peninsula in Northeast Asia. To the northwest, the Amnok River separates Korea from China and to the northeast, the Duman River separates Korea from China and Russia. The Yellow Sea is to the west, the East China Sea and Korea Strait is to the south, and the Sea of Japan is to the east. Notable islands include Jeju Island, Ulleung Island, and Liancourt Rocks.
  The southern and western parts of the peninsula have well-developed plains, while the eastern and northern parts are mountainous. The highest mountain in Korea is Mount Paektu or Paektusan, through which runs the border with China. The southern extension of Mount Paektu is a highland called Gaema Heights. This highland was mainly raised during the Cenozoic orogeny and partly covered by volcanic matter. To the south of Gaema Gowon, successive high mountains are located along the eastern coast of the peninsula. This mountain range is named Baekdudaegan. Some significant mountains include Mount Sobaek or Sobaeksan, Mount Kumgang or Kumgangsan, Mount Seorak or Seoraksan, Mount Taebaek or Taebaeksan, and Mount Jiri or Jirisan.
context_section_description: The climate of Korea differs dramatically from north to south. The southern regions experience a relatively warm and wet climate similar to that of Japan, affected by warm ocean waters including the East Korea Warm Current. The northern regions experience a colder and to some extent more inland climate, in common with Manchuria. For example, the annual precipitation of the Yalu River valley (600 mm or 24 in) is less than half of that on the south coast (1,500 mm or 59 in).  Likewise, there is a 20 °C (36 °F) difference in January temperature between the peninsula's southern and northern tips.
  The entire peninsula, however, is affected by similar climactic patterns, including the East Asian monsoon in midsummer and frequent typhoons in autumn. The majority of rainfall takes place during the summer months, with nearly half during the monsoon alone. Winters are cold, with January temperatures typically below freezing outside of Jeju Island. Winter precipitation is minimal, with little snow accumulation outside of mountainous areas.
caption: Heavy snow fell on eastern Korea in February 2011.
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