A colorful scene of fall foliage is seen in central Seoul on Nov. 14, 2025.NEWS1
Fall foliage across Korea is expected to begin turning in early October in the northern mountains of Gangwon and reach its peak nationwide around late October.
The first autumn colors of the year were observed on Mount Jeombong, 1,426 meters (4,678 feet) above sea level, in Inje County, Gangwon, on Sept. 14, according to the Korea Forest Service.
By late October, roughly 50 percent of the leaves nationwide are expected to have changed color.
A map released by the Korea Forest Service shows the expected peak foliage dates for maple trees on major mountains across Korea.KOREA FOREST SERVICE
By tree species, ginkgo trees are expected to peak on Oct. 30, and maples and oaks a day later.
Peak foliage is forecast for Oct. 20 at Mount Seorak in Gangwon; Oct. 28 at Mount Songni, which straddles North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang; Nov. 4 at Mount Naejang in the Jeolla region; and Nov. 6 at Mount Halla on Jeju Island.
This year’s peak is expected to arrive about 0.8 days later than the average over the past five years.
The Korea Forest Service and the Korea National Arboretum have collected long-term data on seasonal changes in plants since 2009 in cooperation with public arboretums across the country. The National Institute of Forest Science collects weather data from forested areas through a network of mountain weather stations.
The Korea Forest Service plans to improve forecast accuracy by combining that data with broader forest observations from an agricultural and forestry satellite launched this year.
A child frolics while tossing autumn leaves in North Jeolla on Nov. 30, 2025.NEWS1
“Fall foliage is one of the seasonal changes that people can most readily experience in their daily lives,” said Park Young-hwan, director of the Forest Environment Conservation Division at the Korea Forest Service. “We will provide reliable forecasts using plant data collected over many years.”
Private weather company Kweather expects the first fall foliage at Mount Seorak around Wednesday based on the point when 20 percent of the leaves have changed color from the mountain summit downward.
The timing of autumn foliage depends largely on temperatures from early September onward, with cooler weather generally bringing an earlier start.
“Late September will likely be somewhat warmer than usual under the influence of high pressure,” a Kweather representative said. “Last year’s summer heat lingered well into the fall, but we expect the leaves to turn a little earlier this year.”
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.
