Is Gwangju safe? South Korea travel risk
Is Gwangju safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Gwangju scores 27/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates South Korea Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions, updated 28 May 2025); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise normal security precautions. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Gwangju scores 27/100 (Moderate). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and South Korea (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Gwangju: nearest emergency and transport facilities, local climate normals, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: natural hazards (62/100) and security (18/100).
A score of 27 is higher than the scores of 18% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the South Korea travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Geographic & Regional Coordinates
Situated in Gwangju at 35.1653° N, 126.8486° E (elevation 47 m), Gwangju lies 267.3 km N of Seoul. Time zone: Asia/Seoul.
Gwangju
35.1653° N, 126.8486° E
47 m
Asia/Seoul
1,490,092
Emergency & Aviation Access
Nearby Towns & Settlements in South Korea
Climate by Month
Hottest: August (30 °C avg high); Wettest: July (235 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 5° | 6° | 12° | 17° | 22° | 26° | 29° | 30° | 26° | 20° | 13° | 7° |
| Low °C | -3° | -2° | 2° | 7° | 13° | 18° | 23° | 23° | 18° | 11° | 4° | -1° |
| Rain mm | 31 | 39 | 69 | 106 | 109 | 207 | 235 | 206 | 150 | 69 | 42 | 36 |
Normals: Gwangju (0 km away).
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Wildfires | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Gwangju happened in August (2 of 3 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the South Korea travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the South Korea entry requirements.
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