The purposes of this study were to classify detailed climate types over the Republic of Korea (ROK) and to delineate their climate characteristics using the new normals of 1991-2020 for 219 weather stations. Total five climate types, Cfa, Cfb, Cwa, Dwa, and Dwb were identified in ROK based on the Köppen’s climate classification criteria. Subtropical climate types, Cfa or Cwa types were broadly covered with 79.9% of 219 stations and the most of remaining stations were included in Dwa types which had a very cold winter and hot summer with wet conditions. In the Trewartha classification, four climate types were identified, one subtropical Cfa, and three temperate Doa, Dca, and Dcb types. Dcb types were found at four stations (Daegwallyeong, Taebaek, Jinburyeong, and Sabuk) in Taebak mountains indicating the extent of cool summer climate types with more stations in mountain areas. The climate characteristics by climate types only were presented the results from the Trewartha classification with the new normals and 66 ASOS stations because Köppen’s climate classification was not appropriate for ROK. The annual mean precipitation of Cfa was the greatest while Dcb the lowest among four types. The annual range was the greatest at Dca types while the smallest at Cfa due to the geographical varieties. More detailed climate types were located in ROK with 219 weather stations and the new normals (1991-2020). However, there were some limitation applying the criteria of Köppen’s and Trewartha’s climate classification to a very complex topographical region.

The present study aims to analyze climate change and trend of extreme temperature events occurred over the Republic of Korea. The observation data used are daily average, maximum, and minimum temperature from 6 weather stations for the period of 1912-2020. Seven extreme indices regarding frequency and extreme value of temperature are calculated in seasonal and annual time range. In addition, hot extremes and their changes by four physical terms that include information on the annual mean temperature, the amplitude of the annual cycle, the diurnal temperature range and the local temperature anomaly on the day of the extreme are analyzed. The climatology for the analysis is updated to the new normal year of 1991-2020. Consistent with the previous findings, statistically significant change was detected in the indices of annual lowest daily minimum temperature, annual extreme temperature range, frequency of daily minimum temperature below -12℃ and 10%ile(TN10p) during winter. Due to the gradual decrease of the occurrence days regarding the extreme minimum temperature during winter, the frequency calculated by the relative threshold in extreme high temperature during summer prevail since 1990s. Indices related with extreme high temperature had larger low-frequency variability than significant climate change during the analysis period. However, the assessment of hot extremes according to the terms describing mean, variability and tails during the new normal year of 1991-2020, significant increasing trend was detected not only in the annual mean and the amplitude of the seasonal cycle, but also in the daily hot extreme anomaly.