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Geckoman
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
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 Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:16 pm Post subject: Korea: Only Country With Four Distinguishing Seasons? |
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| Korea�s four distinguishing seasons have been regarded as one of the attractions of the nation. But recent research suggests that the country is losing this charm due to global warming. |
I've heard many times how Koreans think they are the only country in the world to have four distinguishing seasons! And how they think their country is special and unique because they have four distinct seasons! That's hilarious!
Most places in the world have four distinguishing seasons! In the US mainland we also have four distinct seasons. But we are not foolish enough to think that we are so special and unique because we have four distinguishing seasons. Nor are we foolish enough to think that we are the only country in the world to have four distinct seasons. Koreans and their crazy ideas! Haha.
Only Koreans would think they are so special because they have four distinct seasons. Only Koreans would think that they are the only country in the world to have four distinguishing seasons. Hahaha. 
To see the full article by The Korea Times go to
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/nation_view.asp?newsIdx=9211&categoryCode=117 or see below.
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| Quote: |
Korea to Have Shorter Winter
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Korea�s four distinguishing seasons have been regarded as one of the attractions of the nation. But recent research suggests that the country is losing this charm due to global warming.
The gloomy forecast is based on research reports by weather experts who gathered in Seoul to attend the ``Workshop for Experts of Climate Change,�� held on Wednesday and Thursday.
According to the National Institute of Meteorological Research the nation will have shorter winters and longer summers.
The winter season in Seoul, which typically begins in early December and ends early March, will be much shorter.
By 2090, it will begin from late December and end around the middle of February, 36 days shorter than the summer in 1920.
But summer will last about 20 days longer than 1920. The hot and humid season is expected to last from early May through late October.
The climate change on the peninsula will also affect the ecosystem.
Another report by Seoul National University suggests that the average temperature in the ocean will increase.
By between 2071 and 2100, the average temperature of the East Sea will increase by 4.1 degrees Celsius.
The increase will effect fish species. Subtropical fish species will slowly become rare and tropical species will be more prevalent in the East Sea.
In the past 40 years, there has been an increase in catches of subtropical fish such as squid, anchovy and mackerel and a decrease in the catches of cold current species such as pollack with the average temperature of the East Sea increasing by 0.9 degree Celsius.
It is also expected that the climate change will lead to more typhoons hitting the nation and there will be big changes in the amount of precipitation, which could result in severe flooding or drought.
Sejong University�s research shows that when the nation�s average temperature increases by 1 degree Celsius, rainfall can increase or decrease by 10 percent. It warns that the drastic increase or decrease can change ecosystems near rivers and streams.
The workshop is being held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, with the participation of about 150 local weather experts. It is being hosted by the Korean Panel on Climate Change, a special agency co-organized by the Korea Metrological Administration and the Ministry of Environment.
[email protected]
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Source: The Korea Times ( www.koreatimes.co.kr ); August 29th, 2007; http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/nation_view.asp?newsIdx=9211&categoryCode=117 |
Last edited by Geckoman on Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:43 pm; edited 6 times in total |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Please, someone shoot me. |
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jaderedux2
Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Location: lurking just lurking
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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I have been in Korea for nigh on 7 years. I have yet to experience a real winter. Winter means snow. Yes snow. Now I am not from Canada but from Nebraska. They also have 4 "distiguishable" season.
Summer hot miserable temps above 90 degrees quite frequently. Warm nights. Muggy but not like the south muggy. Very cool loud thunderstorms. Barbeques, picnics. Swimming. NO SCHOOL. detassling corn. Gardens and the smell of freshly mown grass.
Winter, wind chill that makes it feel like 30 to 60 below 0 (sorry grew up with fahrenheit) The Platte freezes over. Which is sooooo cool. Snow that you actually have to shovel and the likely hood of at least one snow day (no school). Snow that piles up and stays on the ground. I have yet to see a decent snow in this part of Korea.
Spring mild, cool/cold nights and warmer days, thunder storms and tornadoes. Squishy lawns. Some flooding because the ice melt or ice jams. Nothing like going down to the river and listening/watching the ice breaks (this is a noun where I come from..  )! <-- a thing to do when skipping school. Seriously sounds like dynamite going off sometimes as the ice cracks and breaks off.
Fall yes the leaves change color just like here. The city I lived in planted lots and lots of trees when it was first developed to shade in the summer. So a lot of the streets are tree lined and quite pretty to behold in the fall. 2nd tornado season, then the nights get cooler and days are balmier and then cool days and cold nights and frost.
Yes, the above waxes a bit nolstalgic and believe me by March one is sick of the snow and shovelling and cursing the Gods. But if I miss it I go visit it. But what is so freaking annoying is the shock and surprise I get from students when they find out a good part the U.S.A. has 4 seasons.
Most the nuttiness in Korea is usually pretty charming. BUT I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS HOLY the next adult ( I give kids a pass cuz well they are just kids) that regales me with stories of the amazing 4 season of Korea is going to get throttled. Rant over.
Jade |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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"Four distinct seasons, haha!!"
Nice writing, OP.
Actually, I prefer this non-sweaty season. |
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Atavistic
Joined: 22 May 2006
Location: How totally stupid that Korean doesn't show in this area.
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:41 pm Post subject: Re: Korea: Only Country With Four Distinguishing Seasons? |
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| Geckoman wrote: |
I've heard many times how Koreans think they are the only country in the world to have four distinguishing seasons! And how they think their country is special and unique because they have four distinct seasons! That's hilarious! |
Yeah they don't like it when you point out their seasons are "distinct" only because they mark them that way on a calendar and pay more attention than we do (we also have the equinoxes, etc, but it's not like here, when come Sept 1st nobody goes to the beach).
My birthday is at the end of September. Last year a friend and I went to the beach. It was 80 F that day. How many people were there? THREE SETS. It was wonderful. When I got back, everyone said, "But it's fall! You don't go to the beach in fall!"
I also found the averages of my home city and Seoul's averages. I love pointing out that our winters are much, much colder and our summers are just as hot. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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The seasons here are more consistent. In the winter, you aren't going to have unusually warm days. Its going to be cold, every single day. In the summer, you aren't going to have a freakishly cool day. Its gonna be hot every single day.
You can put away your short sleeve shirts and shorts in the winter and be confident that there won't be a single day where you have to take them out until summer. |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
The seasons here are more consistent. In the winter, you aren't going to have unusually warm days. Its going to be cold, every single day. In the summer, you aren't going to have a freakishly cool day. Its gonna be hot every single day.
You can put away your short sleeve shirts and shorts in the winter and be confident that there won't be a single day where you have to take them out until summer. |
sure sounds like home to me. |
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exit86
Joined: 17 May 2006
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
The seasons here are more consistent. In the winter, you aren't going to have unusually warm days. Its going to be cold, every single day. In the summer, you aren't going to have a freakishly cool day. Its gonna be hot every single day.
You can put away your short sleeve shirts and shorts in the winter and be confident that there won't be a single day where you have to take them out until summer. |
WHAT??????????????? Are you joking???????? How the heck would you explain the weather we've been having this past week? It is still summer;
and, in past years (the last 8 in my experience) it is pretty hot up until the end of September (I know because I gotta wear a suit to my job every day). This weather is a pleasant change from the normal
late-summer weather patterns. In fact, I distinctly recall freezing my ass off last night sleeping.
Similarly, winter . . . . the same thing. I've been forced to strip down to short sleeves in December and January due to a really warm "사 온" period.
"More consistent" ??????? Show me the weather data from the past ten years and you may convince me; but, I think I'll continue to choose
clothing on a day-to-day basis; and, I will insist upon making these
choices of my own volition and not by sheepish faith in an arguably flawed calendar system developed two or three hundred years ago which tells people when to stop swimming, when to wear a coat,
when to wear short-sleeves, and when to turn on the heating system.
This is such a simple, personal issue: whether to wear a short-sleeve shirt or a long-sleeve shirt according to one's personal feeling in regard to the day's weather. Leave it to the Choson dynasty "enlightened"
upper classes to force the Korean people to leave the thinking to
the "qualified" people who copied their calendar weather system from the Chinese. One would think that such idiotic and outdated modes of thinking would be abandoned in this age of hand phones and hand-held t.v.'s; but . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Therefore, in order to fully exercise my personal right for choosing my own clothing, I plan on wearing two coats in the summer and only shorts
and sandals in the winter. Roll over in your grave Mr. Dead Yangban !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| caniff wrote: |
"Four distinct seasons, haha!!"
Nice writing, OP.
Actually, I prefer this non-sweaty season. |
Yes. "distinguishing"-  |
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Atavistic
Joined: 22 May 2006
Location: How totally stupid that Korean doesn't show in this area.
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
The seasons here are more consistent. In the winter, you aren't going to have unusually warm days. Its going to be cold, every single day. In the summer, you aren't going to have a freakishly cool day. Its gonna be hot every single day.
You can put away your short sleeve shirts and shorts in the winter and be confident that there won't be a single day where you have to take them out until summer. |
Proof that you don't actually live in Korea.
The fact that the Korean sheep culture can't feel the weather is not proof that weather is consistent. |
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Miles Rationis
Joined: 08 May 2007
Location: Just Say No To Korea!
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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| The Japanese say the same thing; land of four seasons and all that...whatever.... |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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Let's humor the OP....suppose a season could distinguish. What would it discern?
People dress differently in me? |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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| jaderedux2 wrote: |
| I have been in Korea for nigh on 7 years. I have yet to experience a real winter. Winter means snow. |
Live out on the east coast. They have to get snow or it's no wonder Pyeongchang keeps losing their Olympic bids. |
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hepcat
Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know about the rest of S.K., but Daegu in the three years I've been here has had two main seasons--a long summer (wet and hot in the middle) and a long, mostly dry fall. Also, it has had a mini-season, spring, of about 6-8 weeks (March/April), and finally tack on a week (+/- 3 days) of almost wintery days in January or February.
I like the weather here, but I would enjoy a shorter summer and an actual cold, snowy winter.
I guess it's all relative, though. I mean, when it's, say, +32 degrees I often see people hiking in clothes I would wear when it's +5. When October comes, I see people donning puffy, winter jackets when it's +17, while I'm in t-shirt and shorts. I think a lot of Koreans are pretty much weather wimps, afraid of the heat, afraid of the rain, afraid of the sun, afraid of cold... I say this judging by my street observations and especially judging by trail usage on the mountain I run up 3 or 4 times a week. When the weather is fine, the trails are busy as hell. If it's raining, really hot or kind of cold, the trails are almost empty. |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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Awesome, a weather thread.
Let's argue about temperature.
Who cares? |
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