UV Index South Korea
According to the WHO, the average daily ambient ultraviolet radiation in South Korea is 2,535 J/m² (joules per square metre).
UV radiation overview
South Korea occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, stretching from roughly 33°06′N on Jeju Island's Mara-do to about 38°37′N at the northern edge of the Demilitarized Zone, with around 70% of the territory mountainous and tilted toward the Yellow Sea (West Sea) on one flank and the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on the other. The mid-latitude position gives high summer sun angles approaching the subtropics, while the Taebaek and Sobaek ranges along the east modulate cloud cover and surface UV, producing a four-season regime with strong May–August UV peaks and low winter values.
South Korea hosts one of Asia's most comprehensive UV monitoring networks: the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) operates UV index stations at sites including Anmyeon-do, Seoul, Pohang and Gangneung, feeding daily public forecasts. Two regional features shape exposure: the spring Asian Dust (hwangsa) events, when Gobi and Mongolian dust plumes scatter incoming UV across the peninsula, and the East Asian summer monsoon (jangma) in late June–July, whose thick stratus deck suppresses midsummer UV. Jeju Island, dominated by the 1,947 m volcanic Hallasan, adds high-altitude UV enhancement at South Korea's southern tip.
South Korea sits at #149 of 191 in the WHO's global ambient-UV ranking with about 2,535 J/m² of average daily UV, around the 22nd percentile worldwide.
UV Radiation in South Korea
This ranks 149 out of 191 countries measured worldwide — where 1 receives the most UV radiation.
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory (1997–2003)
