5 things to do in Korea during monsoon season

(Photo courtesy of haps Magazine Korea)

Everybody complains about jangma. The humidity, the wet shoes, the umbrella you left somewhere. But honestly? Once you stop fighting it, monsoon season in Korea is kind of great.

Here are 5 things to do when the monsoon rains hit.

1. Find a Jjimjilbang and Stay There

This is the answer to a rainy day that Koreans have been using forever. Pay around 10,000 won to 15,000 won, change into the provided shorts and t-shirt, and just… stop.

Hot rooms, cold rooms, the communal rest area where everyone is lying on the floor watching TV. Eat a hard-boiled egg from the snack counter. Take a nap. There’s no better place to be when it’s raining outside and you have nowhere to be.

2. Go to a Market

Covered traditional markets were built for exactly this weather. From Jagalchi in Busan, to Gwangjang in Seoul, the vendors are relaxed, the hot food stalls are doing their best work, and you have a real reason to stand somewhere and eat slowly. Get a bowl of sundubu jjigae and take your time. Nobody’s rushing anywhere.

3. Eat Pajeon and Drink Makgeolli

There’s a reason Koreans do this every time it rains. Savory pancakes and cold rice wine is a combination that just makes sense on a grey afternoon, and every Korean restaurant knows it.

Order the modum jeon, get a jug of makgeolli, and let the afternoon go where it wants to go.

4. Actually Visit a Museum

Korea has genuinely great museums that most people walk past because the weather is usually nice enough to be outside.

The National Museum of Korea in Seoul is free and enormous.

In Busan, the National Maritime Museum in Yeongdo and the Busan Museum of Art in Haeundae are both worth a proper visit. Rain finally gives you the excuse.

5. Sit in a Café and Watch the Rain

Korean café culture exists for days like this. Find one with big windows, order something you’ll actually enjoy, and just watch the street.

In Busan the cafés along Dalmaji-gil look out over the coast.

In Seoul, the Ikseon-dong hanok cafés feel completely different when it’s overcast.

USAG Yongsan