If you are planning a fall foliage trip this year, you may need to set off a little later than expected. The peak autumn foliage season is forecast to arrive later than usual. According to the Korea Forest Service, fall colors will spread gradually from the central to southern regions, starting with Mount Seorak on Oct. 20. Foliage is expected to reach its peak nationwide only in late October, with peak dates forecast for Oct. 28 at Mount Songni, Nov. 4 at Mount Naejang and Nov. 6 at Mount Halla. The average peak date for maples and oaks nationwide is expected to be Oct. 31, about 0.8 days later than the average peak date over the past five years. The delayed foliage season is not an isolated development this year. As temperatures rise, spring is arriving increasingly early while autumn is shifting later, a pattern that researchers have consistently observed in Korea's forests. The seasonal clock that we have long taken for granted is changing. A 2021 study by researchers at the Korea National Arboretum and Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Environmental Studies tracked 25