For centuries, Koreans have tracked the seasons through the , a lunisolar calendar derived from Chinese astronomy that divides the year into 24 segments.
Twelve-year-old Minjun lived in Seoul, where his science teacher had just taught him the astronomical seasons: winter begins on the winter solstice, around December 21 or 22. That evening, he proudly told his grandfather, Harabeoji, “Winter starts on December 22 this year.” when does winter start in korea
Instead of answering, his grandfather took him on a weekend trip to the old village. On November 8— Lidong —they woke before dawn. The old man pointed to the persimmon trees, dried and hanging with orange fruit like little suns. “See? The birds are already fluffing their feathers. The air smells of frozen earth. This is when we say winter has entered.” For centuries, Koreans have tracked the seasons through
In modern Seoul, winter often "starts" the moment the first Christmas carol plays in a convenience store or the streetlights are adorned with decorations. This usually happens abruptly in . On November 8— Lidong —they woke before dawn
While the calendar might be optimistic, Korea’s geography is ruthless. Surrounded by water on three sides and bordered by mountains and Siberia to the north, Korea’s winter is defined by "Samhan Sibaek" (삼한사온), a traditional phrase meaning
His grandfather, who grew up in a mountain village near Sokcho, chuckled softly. “In my heart,” he said, “winter starts the first morning you see your breath freeze in front of you. But officially? Korea has two winters.”
So, when does winter start in Korea?