Korea's Tropical Summers

In summer, Korea feels to me like a tropical country.  The heat and the humidity are intense, and on the hottest days, I find myself breaking into a sweat just walking on the street.

But in Korea's wooded areas, it's like nowhere else I've ever seen.  The trees and shrubs erupt into rich dark greens, and the high humidity results in the formation of clouds on the slopes of the mountains.  It's beautiful!

Clouds forming on the slope of Baekyang mountain (백양산), in late summer.

A wooded area in Korea, in early summer.

Trees on Inwang mountain (인왕산), with clouds overhead.

Mist hanging over the greenery of Geoje island (거제도), in early summer.

백양산 in early summer.

백양산 on a humid summer day.

A cloud rising on 백양산, in late summer.

Early summer greenery on Toham mountain (토함산), in Kyeongju (경주).

A green landscape in northern Busan (부산), in late summer.

A path on Geumjeong mountain (금정산), in late summer.

Flowers on 금정산, in late summer.

Vegetation on 백양산, in late summer.

Vegetation by a path, on 백양산.

Vegetation on 백양산, in late summer.

In addition to their visual beauty, Korea's wooded areas are amazing to hear in the summer as well.  On sunny days, the birds and insects that inhabit the woods of 백양산 are almost loud enough to entirely drown out the noise of Busan's road traffic.  And Busan's road traffic is loud...