North Korea — Sea Water Temperature and Annual Ranges
Up-to-date sea water temperatures for the coasts of North Korea. Learn about today’s conditions, monthly averages, and how the surrounding seas and oceans vary by season. We find every place where you can swim and show you the water temperature there today and throughout the year.
Sea Water Temperature Along the Coast
Chart of Average Temperature Changes Over the Last 60 Days
Places with the Warmest Sea Water Today
The Most Popular Seaside Places
Coastal Seas and Oceans
Water Temperature and Swimming Overview
Regions and Map
Water Temperature Trends
North Korea has a long coastline along the Yellow Sea to the west and the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the east, and sea surface temperatures vary markedly through the year. In summer, from June through August, coastal water temperatures commonly reach about 18–25 °C (64–77 °F), with the warmest readings typically in July and August. Spring and autumn are transitional, with waters cooling to roughly 8–17 °C (46–63 °F), which many people find brisk for extended swimming. In winter months the surface temperature drops sharply; December through February often sees sea temperatures near freezing, roughly 0–4 °C (32–39 °F), and northern parts of the Yellow Sea can develop ice or very cold conditions that make swimming impractical and hazardous.
Swimming Conditions
Swimming opportunities exist seasonally and are largely concentrated at domestic beach resorts and coastal recreation areas during the warm summer months. Local residents commonly use beaches when temperatures are favorable, but infrastructure such as lifeguards, rescue services and modern facilities can be limited compared with more developed tourist destinations. For foreigners, access to beaches and coastal towns is typically controlled through organized visits and permitted sites, rather than unrestricted public access, so swimming for visitors is usually possible only under guided arrangements. Even in summer, swimmers should be mindful of variable currents, cold offshore water layers, and limited safety services; in winter the sea is effectively closed to recreational swimming because of the risk of hypothermia and hazardous sea-ice conditions.