Too Hot to Love: My Summer Visit to Korea

Korea trip this Summer was… dreadful.

Basically, you are being blasted with hot air 24/7. No rest. No relief. Just an invisible hairdryer following you everywhere you go. The moment you step out of your apartment, your energy drains like someone unplugged your soul. Appetite? Gone. Motivation? Melted into a puddle of sweat on the sidewalk. the only real sanctuary? A local Starbucks.

Korea is extremely walker-friendly. It would scream a walkability score of 2000% compared to a typical U.S. neighborhoods. Most people get around by walking and taking the metro.While the metro is decently cooled, you still have to walk to and from stations—and that 10-15 minute walk can really drain you.

For the record, I love Korea. It’s my birthplace. It’s where all my relatives live. The culture, the food, the neon-lit alleyways, the buzz of life everywhere you go—I adore it all. I want to move back someday. That dream hasn’t changed.

And I love summer, too. I really do. I love the piercing sunlight that makes the colors pop. I love the sound of cicadas screaming into the heat as if trying to out-yell the sun. I love falling asleep to the croaking frogs in the countryside. Heck, I even love the humidity. That instant-sweat, sticky air has never really bothered me.

But this year? This year was different.

I’ve always known Korea was getting hotter year after year, but it wasn’t until this trip that I truly felt the change. Summer 2021? Manageable. It was hot, sure, but I could still function like a normal human. Summer 2025? A different beast entirely.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the June-to-August temperature means have been steadily increasing nationwide. The data doesn’t lie—and neither do the sweat stains on every article of clothing I brought.

(Nationwide June-to-August means, Korea Meteorological Administration)

And here’s the kicker: Summer hadn’t even fully started when I arrived. June alone was brutal enough to make me question all my life choices. July was looming on the horizon like a boss battle I wasn’t ready for.

The Ventilation Culture

One unique aspect of living in Korea is how people tend to ventilate their homes. During the day, windows are often left open to let in “fresh” air. At night, they’re opened again to cool the place down. Air conditioning isn’t 24/7 thing in many households. Instead, it’s used sporadically—just enough to take the edge off.

But this time around, that culture norm felt like punishment. We were staying at our parent’s places, so naturally, we followed their routine. But let me tell you: There’s nothing like lying in a bed 2 a.m., drenched in sweat, window wide open, and wondering if you can get heatstroke in your sleep.

What makes the matter worse is that you’re always oscillating between “shiver” and “sweat.” One minute the A/C hits you liek a blast chiller, the next you’re marinating in humid air. Cue the classic Korean summer combo: hot-air insomnia plus A/C-sickness.

With climate change accelerating and summers getting increasingly brutal, I can’t help but wonder if it’s time to reconsider some of these patterns. May be keeping the AC on throughout the day with smart temperature control isn’t such a luxury anymore—it might be a necessity.

Keeping your home consistently air-conditioned at a steady temperature—say, 26°C—while keeping windows and door sealed is far more energy-efficient than the traditional on-off approach with frequent ventilation. When you shut the AC off and open windows—especially in humid climates like Korea—you’re not just letting in heat, but moisture too. That humidity adds a latent load, meaning your AC has to work harder to dehumidify the air before it can even begin to cool it again.

This stop-and-go pattern, known as short-cycling, puts more strain on the compressor and consumes more electricity overall. In contrast, maintaining a constant temperature in an airtight space allows your AC to run in low-power mode most of the time, avoiding big energy spikes. Studies and field trials show this steady-state method can cut cooling energy consumption by 10–20%, while also improving comfort and indoor air quality.

I hope this approach becomes more common place in coming years.

This year really tested my love for Korean summer. My parents did warn me not to come during this season. “It’s too draining,” they said. “You won’t want to do anything.”

Yeah… I think I’ll take that advice to heart next time and plan my visit during literally any other season.