Gangwon State's major national parks and festival grounds filled with day-trippers on the 3rd, the first day of the National Foundation Day holiday. More than 20,000 hikers visited Seoraksan alone, while tourists and residents streamed into local festivals in Inje, Hoengseong, Sokcho and Jeongseon.
A total of 34,570 people had visited the four national parks in Gangwon State as of 2 p.m. that day, according to the Korea National Park Service. Seoraksan National Park drew the largest crowd, with 22,790 visitors hiking in cooler weather. Odaesan National Park received 7,435 visitors, Chiaksan National Park 3,115 and Taebaeksan National Park 1,230.
The season's first autumn foliage was observed around Daecheongbong Peak on Seoraksan on Sept. 28. As the colors have moved down the mountainsides, other major ranges in Gangwon State, including Odaesan and Chiaksan, have begun to show full autumn scenery.
Local festival grounds were busy all day. At the Inje Autumn Flower Festival, held at the Yongdae tourist site in Inje, visitors walked through fields of brightly colored flowers. The Hoengseong Anheung Steamed Bun Festival drew crowds eager to taste freshly steamed buns.
The Seorak Cultural Festival, held around the Expo Lawn Plaza and the Rodeo Street area in Sokcho, featured street parades and arts performances. The Jeongseon Arirang Festival and the 45th Taebaek Festival, held around Taebaek City Hall, also attracted large numbers of residents and tourists.
Lodging businesses benefited as autumn travel demand rose. Major glamping sites in Hongcheon and Yeongwol sold out their weekend bookings early, and pension complexes in the Yeongdong region, including Gangneung, were crowded with guests. Along the Toegyecheon walking trail and around Uiamho Lake in Chuncheon, residents spent the holiday cycling and running.
"With the arrival of autumn, hikers and festival-goers are arriving all at once," an official in the local tourism industry said. "As the peak autumn travel season begins, we expect it to help boost local commerce."
Gangwon State will see intermittent cloud cover on the 4th, the second day of the holiday, turning gradually overcast from late at night. Daytime highs are forecast at 22 to 24 degrees Celsius inland, 18 to 19 degrees in mountainous areas and 22 to 23 degrees along the East Coast.
