Korea Basks in Early Summer Weather

Unseasonably warm weather brought crowds into the streets over the weekend to enjoy the cherry blossom in full bloom.

Daytime highs in Seoul soared to 25 degrees Celsius, 11 degrees higher than the seasonal average.

Yeouido's streets lined with cherry trees were jam-packed with half a million visitors over the weekend. According to the Korea Expressway Corporation, 5.44 million cars jammed expressways nationwide last Saturday, even more than before the coronavirus pandemic.

Amusement parks were also crowded. About 80,000 people visited Children's Grand Park in Seoul on Sunday, up 2,000 from the previous day as air pollution abated, while 36,996 people visited Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province the previous day.

The early summer weather is expected to continue, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration, with temperatures rising to 27 degrees in the capital region, which is more commonly seen in early June.

Daytime highs in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province and Jeonju in North Jeolla Province will also rise to similar levels.

Rain across the country will bring some relief starting on Jeju Island on Tuesday evening, but morning temperatures will stay between 8 and 15 degrees and daytime temperatures between 12 and 22 degrees.

Daytime highs have ranged between 18 and 27 degrees since March 31 across the country, hitting a new record for the time of year.