If you are using the Korea Forest Service's October 22, 2026 announcement to plan a garden visit, put the predicted foliage peak and the end of an event in separate columns.
The announcement introduces five arboretums and botanical gardens with autumn activities. A separate JPEG attachment predicts peak foliage for 30 private and school arboretums across Korea.
Not all five featured places have an entry on that map. Its dates are weather-sensitive forecasts, not a record of how the leaves look today and not a timetable for festivals or admission.
Four dates actually printed on the map
Matching the place names in the official attachment gives November 1 for Hantaek Botanical Garden, November 3 for Chollipo Arboretum, October 30 for Gicheongsan Botanical Garden, and November 1 for Shingu University Botanical Garden.
These are predicted 2026 peak-foliage dates. The map itself warns that weather conditions can change the timing.
Irwol Arboretum, although featured in the press release, is not listed among the map's 30 private and school sites. It would be wrong to borrow another site's map date for Irwol—or to infer from its absence that Irwol has no autumn colour.
The practical question is whether an independently announced program still falls within its own operating period on the day you hope to see foliage. Even when a map date coincides with the last day of an exhibition, each date says something different.
The map cannot establish admission conditions, opening hours, whether a particular tour has space, or whether a program is running at the time of your visit.
Compare each destination with its event calendar
Hantaek Botanical Garden, Yongin: The map predicts November 1 for peak foliage. The press release places the Autumn Foliage Festival from October 19 through November 8, so the forecast date falls within the announced festival period.
It also mentions the gardener-led “Time of Foliage” interpretation walk on Saturdays during the festival.
November 1 on the map is not itself a booking date or proof that this guided session is running then. Check the garden's notice for the session and participation arrangements on your chosen day.
Chollipo Arboretum, Taean: The map shows November 3, while the outdoor “Chaekbaseum” book fair was announced for October 24–25. The fair should not be described as ongoing after October 25 merely because the foliage forecast is later.
The release separately mentions a 2026 autumn walk including a visit to a “Secret Garden” not normally open to the public. That brief description does not specify the individual dates or access and reservation terms for the walk.
If you are considering November 3, verify the walk separately rather than assuming a fair or special-access program comes with the map date.
Gicheongsan Botanical Garden, Pohang: The JPEG prints October 30; the press-release text suggests around October 30 for an autumn walk. It describes a path with spicebush, elm and maple trees and a guided interpretation of an ecosystem of roughly 2,000 Korean native plant species.
The forest interpretation is described as advance-reservation participation. A forecast date does not secure a place on that tour. Nor does “around” mean a live observation or a guarantee that the foliage will peak on exactly October 30.
Shingu University Botanical Garden, Seongnam: Its map date is November 1. The announced chrysanthemum exhibition, “From Fields to Gardens,” and photo zone run through November 1.
The prediction and the exhibition's announced final date coincide, but the map does not certify the exhibition and the exhibition cannot confirm the colour of the trees.
The announcement also mentions late-October chrysanthemum-bonsai and flower-illustration activities; it does not establish each activity's own closing date in that passage. Check the specific notice for any additional program you want to attend.
Irwol Arboretum, Suwon: There is no peak prediction for Irwol on this 30-site map. Its autumn flower festival was announced for October 24 only, with a garden concert, special flower display, craft experiences and a flea market among that day's attractions. After October 24, the one-day festival has ended.
The separately announced “Night Garden” is late opening on Fridays and Saturdays through October 31, until 9 p.m. The festival's one-day activities should not be carried forward into every late-opening night. Confirm the chosen Friday or Saturday's operation with the facility before setting out.
Turn the two calendars into a usable visit plan
For a late-October trip, Gicheongsan's October 30 estimate can help you choose when to check local conditions, but its guided tour requires its own advance-reservation check. At Irwol, distinguish the October 24 flower festival from the Friday/Saturday night-opening schedule through October 31.
For early November, consider the November 1 estimates at Hantaek and Shingu or the November 3 estimate at Chollipo. The Chollipo book fair ended on October 25. Shingu's named chrysanthemum exhibition was announced only through November 1.
Hantaek's festival was announced through November 8, while its Saturday interpretation sessions remain a separate scheduling question.
Once you choose a date, consult that facility's latest notice for opening on the day, hours, the specific event, any need to reserve, and admission conditions. Neither this guide nor the forecast map confirms prices, spare reservation places or real-time foliage.
Keeping the agency's forecast separate from each activity's own calendar helps avoid travelling for an event whose announced dates have passed or treating a weather-dependent estimate as a promise.
Also on Naver Blog
The Korean companion post is available on Life Mokcha's Naver Blog.
About the Author
Life Mokcha's editor, “Mokcha Keeper,” checks original public-agency releases to clarify who information applies to and what readers can do next.
