Autumn leaves in southern Korea: November peak dates for 24 spots

Seoul and Gangwon passed their peak at the end of October, but the four southern regions are only now turning. The 2026 autumn foliage map, made by the Korea Tourism Organization with the Korea Forest Service's Korea National Arboretum, divides the country into six regions, gives forecast peak dates by tree type at a reference arboretum in each, and recommends 36 places to go. This article takes the 24 spots in Chungcheong, Jeolla, Gyeongsang and Jeju, sets the official forecasts beside dates we looked up again in the arboretum's own service, and arranges them by November week.

What does 'peak' mean on the 2026 foliage map?

The date on the map is the forecast day when more than half (50% or more) of that tree type's leaves have changed colour. It marks the best moment rather than the first colour, so the few days either side of it are the time to go.

The forecast rests on the National Arboretum's citizen-science Plant Phenology Observation project: records left by 829 people who took part in its autumn 2025 foliage survey, fed with weather data into a statistical model (quantile regression forest). The Korea Forest Service released its national peak-forecast map on 22 September, and on 8 October the Korea Tourism Organization added its travel picks and published the foliage map. The tourism organisation described it as citizen data meeting its own travel curation to give more accurate autumn travel information.

When do the southern regions peak?

Across the seven reference arboretums, Chungcheong peaks first and Jeju last. Within one region the inland arboretums (Cheongju, Wanju) and the south coast (Wando, Jinju) are more than a week apart, and oaks generally peak later than maples.

The reference arboretums are forecasting points for each region, and Halla Arboretum is the only one that is also among the 36 recommended spots. The photos below are of Gyeongsang's two reference points, Gyeongsangnam-do Arboretum and Daegu Arboretum, in past autumns.

How do I check the peak date for a particular place?

For anywhere not on the map, use the National Arboretum's peak-date lookup on its plant phenology site. It opened on 29 September and is free.

1. Open knpn.nature.go.kr/record/autumn.html (in the site menu it sits under Records → Seasonal forecast).
2. Type a Korean road address or building name into the address search, or simply click the point you want on the map.
3. A label shows the forecast peak date for that point. There is one date per point, not one per tree type.

Chungcheong: six spots, already at the tail end?

Chungcheong peaks first in the south. Mungwang Reservoir in Goesan, the Mancheonha Skywalk in Danyang and Sejong National Arboretum were forecast for the end of October and are likely past their best by the first weekend of November; Sapgyoho, Gapcheon and the Baekje Cultural Land in Buyeo peak around 2–3 November. We found no openly licensed autumn photos of the Chungcheong spots, so they appear without pictures.

Jeolla: six spots, first and second week of November

Jeolla runs from Maisan in Jinan (1–3 November) down to the Hwangnyong River in Jangseong (10 November) and the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju (11 November). By the reference arboretums, inland Daea peaks on 1 November and Wando on the south coast on 9 November.

Meta Provence in Damyang is a European-style themed village built right beside the famous metasequoia avenue. The lookup gives 9–10 November, late for Jeolla, so the second weekend still has a chance.

Maisan Provincial Park in Jinan is the forest beneath two rock peaks shaped like a horse's ears. Park entry is listed as free, but the temple area (Tapsa) is listed as charging its own admission, so check the amount on the day.

The Asia Culture Center in Gwangju sinks its buildings below ground level, leaving the gardens and plaza between them open to all. The outdoor areas are open 06:00–22:00, so it works as an evening walk too.

Gyeongsang: six spots bunched into 4–8 November

The six Gyeongsang spots fall between 4 November (Gyeongju World) and 8 November (the Nam River in Jinju) in the lookup, so the end of the first week and the start of the second are the heart of the season there. Gyeongju World and E-World are amusement parks that need a day pass; the rest are mostly free parks and gardens.

Taehwagang National Garden in Ulsan joins riverside bamboo groves to planted gardens; the lookup gives 6 November.

Geochang Changpowon is a waterside eco-garden at the head of the Hapcheon reservoir, with reeds and autumn colour together. We have no usable photos of the Nam River, Changpowon or Busan Citizens Park, so they appear in the table only. The Jinju photos above are of Gyeongsangnam-do Arboretum, not the Nam River.

Where to go after mid-November: Jeju

Jeju is the last in the south. Halla Arboretum's maples are forecast for 19 November, so in the third week of November it is effectively the only choice left for leaves. Note that three of the map's six Jeju picks, Saebyeol Oreum, Ttarabi Oreum and Songaksan, are there for silver grass, not autumn leaves.

Ttarabi Oreum in Seogwipo is a ridge of three overlapping craters blanketed in silver grass; the lookup gives 8–10 November.

Saebyeol Oreum in Aewol, Jeju City, turns one whole face of the volcanic cone into a silver-grass slope, and is listed as free and always open.

November in the south, week by week

• Late October – first week of November — Mungwang Reservoir, Mancheonha Skywalk, Sejong National Arboretum (tail end), Gapcheon Eco Lake Park, Sapgyoho, Baekje Cultural Land, Maisan Provincial Park, Gyeongju World, Imsil Cheese Theme Park
• 6–10 November — Jeonju World Cup Stadium, E-World, Taehwagang National Garden, Geochang Changpowon, Busan Citizens Park, Nam River in Jinju, Ttarabi Oreum, Meta Provence, Hwangnyonggang Eco Park, Saebyeol Oreum
• From 11 November — Asia Culture Center, Bijarim Forest, Yeomiji Botanical Garden, Songaksan, Halla Arboretum (lookup 17th, maple table 19th)

What to check before you set off

• The dates are forecasts computed from weather data up to September. The day before, look at recent photos on the local government's or the venue's social media.
• Closing days differ: Sejong National Arboretum and Baekje Cultural Land close on Mondays, as do the Asia Culture Center's indoor venues and Imsil Cheese Theme Park; Geochang Changpowon closes on Wednesdays.
• Prices at the spots marked paid vary and change; check each venue's website.

Getting there without Korean

Most of these spots are a train plus a local bus or taxi from Seoul. KTX and SRT trains reach Daejeon, Jeonju (Jeolla line), Gwangju Songjeong, Dongdaegu, Gyeongju, Ulsan (Tongdosa), Jinju and Busan, and Korail's English website sells KTX tickets to foreign cards; Jeju is a one-hour flight from Gimpo. The smaller rural spots, such as Mungwang Reservoir, Maisan, Meta Provence and Changpowon, are easiest by car or taxi from the nearest bus terminal, since country buses run only a few times a day. The foliage map and the National Arboretum's lookup are Korean-only pages, but the lookup needs no typing: zoom the map, click the spot, and the date appears in numbers. On site, expect English mainly at the larger venues such as the Asia Culture Center and the national arboretums; the small parks and reservoirs may have Korean-only signs, which matters little for a walk.