Pedestrians carrying umbrellas stroll beneath autumn foliage in Daegu on Oct. 13.YONHAP
Fall colors are arriving on time or even ahead of schedule across Korea this year, a sharp contrast to the unusually late foliage seasons in recent years.
The pace of the seasonal transformation is expected to accelerate as rain clears Tuesday and a mass of cold air moves southward from the north.
The first autumn foliage was spotted Monday on Mount Deokyu in Jeonju, North Jeolla, according to seasonal observations by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The mountain saw its first autumn colors two weeks earlier than last year and a week ahead of the historical average of Oct. 19.
The weather agency marks the start of foliage season when leaves have changed color across roughly 20 percent of a mountain, beginning at the summit.
Mount Odae and Mount Seorak in Gangwon also saw their first autumn colors on schedule, on Oct. 1 and Sept. 28, respectively. Mount Chiak's foliage arrived on Oct. 6, a day earlier than usual.
Climate change has delayed the onset of autumn foliage across Korea's major mountains in recent years. The weather agency’s data show that Mount Seorak and Mount Odae and Mount Bukhan in Seoul all saw their first fall colors later than usual for five consecutive years, from 2021 through 2025.
Mount Naejang, a popular fall foliage destination straddling North Jeollaand Jeonnam-Gwangju, has also seen its autumn colors arrive later than the historical average of Oct. 20 for five consecutive years. Last year, the first colors did not appear until Nov. 7.
This year marks a reversal. After last year's record-late foliage season, autumn colors have returned on schedule as cold northern air drove temperatures down sharply from early September.
Foreign visitors in short-sleeved shirts stroll through a shopping district in central Seoul on Oct. 12.NEWS1
A brief spell of late-season heat sent temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), but cooler weather is set to return after Tuesday's nationwide rain gives way to cold northern air.
“Cold air from the northwest will drive temperatures down starting Tuesday night after the rain clears,” the KMA said. “Wednesday morning will be 5 to 10 degrees Celsius colder than the previous morning, with strong winds making it feel even chillier.”
In Seoul, temperatures are expected to fall to 9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday morning, with apparent temperatures at 8 degrees Celsius. Paju and Gapyeong in Gyeonggi could see wind chills as low as 3 degrees Celsius, bringing a taste of late-autumn cold. Morning temperatures are forecast to dip below 10 degrees Celsius nationwide, with frost and ice possible in some areas.
The continued stretch of chilly autumn weather is expected to accelerate the change of the leaves. Historically, fall foliage reaches its peak on Mount Odae around Oct. 15 and Mount Seorak around Oct. 17 in Gangwon.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
