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Mild weather, fine dust expected during Lunar New Year holiday

Published: 12 Feb. 2026, 16:05 Updated: 12 Feb. 2026, 16:16

The city of Seoul appears hazy due to heavy air pollution on Feb. 12. [NEWS1]

Mild weather will continue through the Lunar New Year holiday, though thick fog and elevated fine dust levels may affect parts of Korea, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Thursday.

Temperatures will remain above seasonal averages during the holiday period from Saturday to Wednesday.

Morning lows on Saturday will range from minus 4 degrees to 6 degrees Celsius (24.8 to 42.8 degrees Fahrenheit) nationwide, while daytime highs will reach between 8 degrees and 17 degrees Celsius.

Temperatures will gradually decline toward the latter half of the holiday, but will stay above average.

Forecast lows and highs stand at minus 1 degree to 18 degrees Celsius on Sunday, minus 3 degrees to 11 degrees Celsius on Monday, minus 4 degrees to 11 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and minus 6 degrees to 11 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

Rain or snow may fall on Monday along the east coast, including parts of Gangwon and North Gyeongsang. A northeastern wind carrying snow clouds will blow in between a high-pressure system expanding from the north and a low-pressure system passing south of Jeju Island, triggering rain or snow.

“If colder air in the upper atmosphere moves further south and strengthens the northeastern wind, heavy snow advisories could be issued for Gangwon's Yeongdong region,” said Lee Gwang-yeon, a forecast analyst at the KMA. “If the low-pressure system south of Jeju moves farther north than expected, rain or snow could spread to more southern areas. Check for forecast changes around Monday.”

Commuters walk through the Gwanghwamun intersection in central Seoul on Nov. 26, 2025. [YONHAP]

Drivers should take caution along the west coast and across the Seoul metropolitan area, as well as the Chungcheong region and Gangwon, through Sunday, as dense fog may frequently develop overnight and during the early morning hours.

Visibility could drop below 100 meters (328 feet) in some areas.

"Fog combined with drizzle in higher altitude areas may create road ice, known as black ice, and freezing rain could also occur," the KMA said.

Fine dust concentrations may also rise during the early days of the holiday.

Levels of ultrafine dust will likely reach “bad” levels in some regions on Saturday and Sunday as fine dust from overseas and domestic sources builds up in the air due to weak air movement, the National Institute of Environmental Research said.

The Seoul metropolitan area, western Gangwon, the Chungcheong region, Gwangju, North Jeolla, Daegu and North Gyeongsang may see elevated levels starting Friday.

Concentrations may decline in some areas on Sunday but could remain high in southern Gyeonggi, western Gangwon, Sejong, North Chungcheong, Daegu and North Gyeongsang.

The city of Seoul appears hazy as seen from Mount Namsan in central Seoul on Nov. 24, 2025. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]

Authorities also urged caution over strong winds and high waves. Dry weather advisories remain in effect along the east coast, and strong winds on Friday and Wednesday may increase the risk of wildfires.

Wind advisories may be issued for waters off the west coast, waters off the east coast and waters south of Jeju Island from Sunday to Monday.

“Take extra care with fire when visiting family graves or spending time outdoors, and check maritime traffic conditions in advance,” the KMA said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HEO JEONG-WON [[email protected]]