Interior ministry warns hikers as autumn foliage season peaks

The interior ministry said Wednesday that hikers should take extra care during the autumn foliage season, when mountain accidents peak and the country's trails fill with visitors.

October is the year's worst month for hiking accidents. Over the past three years, 28,624 hiking accidents were recorded, and 3,542 of them occurred in October, causing 2,364 casualties, according to the ministry.

Falls were the most common cause of accidents over the three years, accounting for 8,440 cases, or 29 percent. Getting lost followed with 7,073 cases, or 25 percent, and physical ailments such as chronic conditions accounted for 4,508 cases, or 16 percent.

This year's foliage began on Mount Seorak on Sept. 28 and is spreading south, with the peak expected to reach the whole country in late October.

The ministry advised hikers to check their route's expected duration, the location of shelters and the weather before setting out, and to choose a trail suited to their fitness. Anyone who feels unwell on the mountain should turn back immediately, and inexperienced hikers should pace themselves and stay out of closed or restricted areas. Hikers should stick to designated trails, walk with companions, and tell family or friends where they are going. If they lose their way, they should retrace their steps to a point they recognise.

In an emergency, the ministry said, hikers should use the mountain location markers installed along the trails or the national grid reference system to report their position precisely and call for rescue. Hikes should start early in the morning and finish one to two hours before sunset, and hikers should pack extra clothing and gloves for sudden temperature drops and cold winds.

"Many people head to the mountains to enjoy the autumn atmosphere during the foliage season, and I hope they enjoy the autumn leaves while following safety rules, such as choosing a trail that matches their fitness," said Lee Chi-seon, head of the ministry's preventive safety system division.