Korea’s cherry blossom front arrives 5 days early  — you can enjoy cherry blossoms in Seoul as early as April 7

▲ Cherry blossoms around Pumun Lake in Gyeongju. (Photo / Provided by the Korea Tourism Organization)

Reported by Chen Rui-zhong / Compiled report

Due to the warm winter, this year’s cherry blossom season in Korea is estimated to start 3–5 days earlier than usual. Starting from the southern city of Seogwipo at the end of March, the “cherry blossom front” will continue moving northward, with the Seoul area expected to see blossoms on April 7.

According to information released by the Korea Tourism Organization, blossoms are expected to appear in Seogwipo on March 20 and in Busan on March 24. The organization also noted that once the cherry blossoms bloom, they are expected to reach full bloom within about a week, and then will begin to fall after another 1–2 weeks.

▲ 2016 Korean cherry blossom front. (Photo / From the Korea Tourism Organization Facebook fan page)

Among Korea’s famous cherry blossom viewing spots,Yujacheon in Jinhae is expected to bloom on March 27, Pumun Lake in Gyeongju and the Hadong Sibiseonni Cherry Blossom Road on March 29, the Museongcheon Stream in Cheongju on April 2, and Yeouido in Seoul on April 7.However, due to large temperature fluctuations in March and April, the predicted dates may differ slightly from the actual blooming times.