You may notice quite a few homeless people around Seoul Station. A lot of visitors ask me, “Why are there so many homeless people here?” One of the biggest reasons goes back to 1997, during the Asian Financial Crisis. In Korea, we usually call it the IMF Crisis . A lot of companies went bankrupt, unemployment rose very quickly, and many people suddenly lost their jobs and income. Some people eventually lost their homes as well. And many of them came to Seoul Station . Why here? Because this was one of the main places to find day labor and temporary jobs , and it was also the main railway station if they wanted to go back to their hometowns. But some had no money left and nowhere else to go, so they stayed around the station. That is one reason Seoul Station became one of the main gathering places for homeless people after the 1997 crisis. Then another thing happened. Once many homeless people were here, churches, charities, NGOs, and the government started providing help here. Th...
The hottest period in Korea is from late July to early August. During this time, the temperature can soar to 40 degrees Celsius, (104 °F), with overnight temperatures extending past 25 degrees Celsius (77 °F), producing humid tropical nights.
The best season to visit Korea
Considering both the cold winter and the hot and rainy summer, the best times to visit South Korea are spring and autumn, especially the months of May and October. The latter can be preferred because it's less rainy (and it's outside the so-called yellow dust season). Moreover, in autumn, you can admire the fall foliage in national parks.
As previously mentioned, the sea is warm enough for swimming from July to September, especially in the center-south.
What to pack
In winter: for Seoul and the center-north, Bring warm clothing, such as a down jacket, gloves, a scarp, and a hat.
In summer: Bring light clothing of natural fibers, a light raincoat or umbrella, a scarp for the wind, and a light sweatshirt for air-conditioned places.
* In the spring when there is a lot of fine dust in Korea, you will see a lot of people wearing masks. It is recommended to bring a mask or wear a mask after purchasing it in Korea.
* Also, it is essential to wear a mask unconditionally in the corona era these days.