Red leaves season in Korean national parks

National parks in Korea begin to change leaves from late September, lasting through October to the first half of November.

Kweather, Korea's forecasting agency, announced that this year, the country's autumn foliage season appeared earliest at Seoraksan National Park in late September. It was followed by Odaesan and Jirisan National Parks in October.

The most beautiful autumn foliage season in Korea is about two weeks after the first day of appearance. In 2017, the most beautiful and abundant red and yellow leaves were from October 17th starting from Odaesan Mountain to November 8th at Naejansan National Park.

Seoraksan

The red leaf season begins in late September, with the best time around October 19. The national park is located in four counties: Sokcho, Inje, Goseong and Yangyang. The highest peak of the national park is Daecheongbong at 1,708m, and on the way to conquer it, visitors can visit temples, pagodas, valleys and beautiful waterfalls.

Arirang news about the red leaves appearing in Seoraksan mountain area at the end of September.Video: Arirang News

Odaesan

The autumn foliage season in Odaesan National Park begins on October 1 and peaks on October 17. Odaesan Mountain is located in the central and eastern part of Gangwon-do Province. This mountain range has been part of the national park since February 1975, with the highest peak being Birobong at 1,563 m. Odaesan is home to the largest natural forest in Korea, home to many wild animals and plants such as wild boars, musk deer, turtledoves, woodpeckers, etc.

Jirisan

At Jirisan National Park, the forests will start changing leaves on October 11 and the best time to see the red leaves is expected to be October 24. Jirisan has been a national park since 1967 and is located in three provinces: Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do. Jirisan Mountain not only has a rich flora and fauna but also has high, wide mountains and deep cliffs that attract adventurers.

Woraksan

The autumn foliage season in Woraksan starts on October 13 and is expected to peak on October 25. This is an area with many beautiful mountains, waterfalls and valleys. On the way to the top of the mountain, visitors can also visit temples, hot springs and when reaching the top, they can see the white pine forest and many lakes below.

Autumn foliage scene at Bukhansan Mountain in 2016.Video: Arirang TV

Bukhansan

The fall foliage season at Bukhansan National Park begins on October 15, with the best time predicted to be October 29. Located north of Seoul, Bukhansan means "great mountain of the north". When coming here in the fall, visitors should stop at Bukhansanseong Fortress, where they can see the most beautiful mountains. In addition, Bukhansan is also an ideal place for climbing and hiking all year round.

Hallasan

The autumn foliage season begins on October 17th in Hallasan and the peak of the season is at the end of October, around October 31st. Hallasan stands out in the center of Jeju Island, also known as Yeongjusan, meaning "a mountain so high that it can pull down the galaxy". Hallasan is famous for its rich flora and fauna, including more than 1,800 species of trees, 4,000 species of animals, and many trekking routes for visitors.

Naejangsan

The autumn foliage season in Naejansan National Park is expected to start later than other places, from October 20, and the most beautiful time falls on November 8. Nanejansan, located in Jeolla-do Province, is one of the most beautiful places to see autumn leaves in Korea. In this national park, there are many large waterfalls and temples for visitors to stop and explore. Notably, the two Baekyangsa temples are covered in dreamy red leaves in autumn.

According to VNE/Visit Korea