Mount Seorak welcomes first fall foliage

Fall foliage appeared on Mount Seorak in Gangwon Province, South Korea, for the first time on Monday. The Gangwon Regional Meteorological Administration recorded this event at the 1,708-meter mountain. This year's arrival happened four days earlier than last year and matched the average date for the past. Authorities define the first foliage as when around 20 percent of a mountain's deciduous leaves change color from the summit downward.

The peak of the foliage at Mount Seorak is expected to occur in mid-to-late October, with about 80 percent of the foliage turning color. Last year, the foliage peaked on October 24, compared to the long-term average of October 17. The color change is anticipated to speed up as cold air descends from the north this week, causing morning lows across the country to drop into single digits starting Thursday.

The agency predicts morning temperatures ranging from 6 to 17 degrees Celsius and daytime highs from 20 to 24 degrees Celsius from Thursday to Saturday. Visitors can monitor the current foliage conditions for 21 major mountains through the agency's website.