Autumn in Korea
November ushers in the fall harvest and chilly temperatures as creatures big and small prepare for the long winter hibernation. In Korea, autumn is at its peak late October into early November. Koreans usually refer to autumn as a lonely and depressing time, but for those of us who have first-hand experience of fall in Korea, it can be a beautiful season full of brilliant colors. Below is the personal account of Mary Mercer, an American educator who lived for 25 years in Korea:
Shortening days and evolving crisp, cool morning air evoke fond memories of autumn in Korea. Located north and south of the 38th parallel, Korea enjoys four seasons with autumn one of the most spectacular. Cool relief from summer’s steam-bath and deep, rich colors on the landscape mark the beginning of fall in the Land of the Morning Calm.
Fall Foliage in Gangwon Province, North Korea
Autumn’s display is most glorious in the countryside with vistas of golden rice paddies, plump pumpkins on vines overhanging garden walls, brilliant red peppers drying in the sunshine on straw mats, and persimmon trees dripping with burnt orange fruit. Hues of red, orange, and yellow leaves on deciduous trees peek through evergreen branches in the lush foliage on mountainsides.
In former days when rice was harvested by hand, hours could be spent watching the back-breaking work of farmer cohorts clutching rice stalks in bunches, severing the stalks close to the ground with a sickle, and threshing the rice, creating dust from the rice hulls to choke the air. Empty stalks were then bound in sheaves and the sheaves lined up in rows. Perfect picture of the sheaves in the Old Testament story of Joseph. Oh, the anticipation of devouring freshly harvested rice—wholesomely delicious!
Sun-dried Red Chili Peppers
Sometime in late September or early October, depending on where the date falls according to the lunar calendar, is the Korean harvest holiday, Chusok, a combination of Thanksgiving and for non-Christians, ancestor worship at family graves. For Chusok, one of the two major holidays in Korea, sidewalks are rolled up, work stops for a few days, families gather, and fabulous feasts are prepared. Millions of people hit the highways to visit hometowns creating massive traffic jams for miles and miles. Intercity trains and buses are crammed. Best to stay put or plan to travel the opposite direction of the hordes leaving town!
The autumn colors invite crowds to mountain parks on the weekends. Suit up in stylish mountain-climbing wear, grab a walking stick, and join the folks of all ages trooping up and down mountain paths! Pack a lunch of cold rice wrapped in dried seaweed—kimpop—Korea’s famous fermented cabbage called kimchi, some raw veggies, hard-boiled eggs, and luscious fruit. Add bottled water—you’ll need it! Enjoy the day getting strenuous exercise outdoors in the invigorating air under sun-drenched, vivid-blue skies surrounded by the gorgeous mountain scenery of autumn. Hope you don’t mind fighting the traffic going to and from! Everyone is thinking the same thing.
I can almost see and feel the colors of Korean autumn. Take me there. I’m ready to go.