South Korea forecasts Friday snow and rain, risk to Busan and Ulsan ports
A heavy snow event last week left a snowy landscape around Seoraksan’s Sokcho area in Gangwon Province, a scene captured in photos at Seoraksan Small Park. Forecasts for this Friday indicate renewed precipitation, mainly along the East Sea coast and the southern Gyeongsang region.
The Korea Meteorological Administration says precipitation on Friday will fall as snow or rain, concentrated along the East Sea coast and in coastal and mountainous areas of Gangwon and Gyeongsang. Busan and Ulsan are expected to see rain through the morning, while inland areas and the Gangwon East Coast and northeastern mountains, as well as the northeastern coast of Gyeongbuk, may see rain or snow through the afternoon. The central region is expected to be mostly clear early on but become cloudy later in the day.
Snowfall is forecast to be substantial in some highland areas: 5 to 15 centimeters in Gangwon’s mountainous regions, with many places possibly exceeding 20 centimeters. The East Gangwon coast is expected to see 1 to 3 centimeters, and the northeastern coast of Gyeongbuk under 1 centimeter. Ulleungdo and Dokdo are projected to receive 3 to 8 centimeters, with 1 to 5 centimeters in the northeastern mountains of Gyeongbuk. Rainfall amounts across these zones are expected to range from 5 to 20 millimeters, with 5 to 10 millimeters in Busan and Ulsan. Daegu and inland areas of Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam are forecast to receive around 5 millimeters.
Temperatures will be variable, with morning lows from minus 2 to plus 4 degrees Celsius and daytime highs from 6 to 14 degrees. The temperature swing between day and night could be as large as about 15 degrees in some inland areas.
Air quality is expected to be mostly good to moderate across the country, but the Honam region and Jeju Island may experience lingering high fine-dust levels into the early morning due to residual pollution, improving as a northeast wind strengthens.
Why this matters to U.S. readers: South Korea is a major hub for global manufacturing, electronics, and shipping. Snow and rain along key corridors and near major ports such as Busan and Ulsan can disrupt production schedules, logistics, and energy demand, with ripple effects for supply chains in technology, automobiles, and consumer electronics that feed into U.S. markets. Severe winter weather also affects domestic tourism and energy use in a country that plays a critical role in regional security arrangements and global trade routes. The forecast highlights how weather in Korea can influence regional markets, shipping schedules, and manufacturing timing that matter to multinational suppliers and customers, including those in the United States.