When people imagine South Korea, they often think of Seoul’s busy streets, tall buildings, and colorful city lights. But there is another side of Korea that looks completely different.
It is a place of golden rice fields, quiet country roads, low mountains, and small villages surrounded by farmland.
I live in rural South Korea, and these are some of the views I see while taking my children to school.
In Part 1 of this series, I shared what an ordinary school run looks like in the Korean countryside. Today, I want to show you the beautiful scenery along the way.
Golden Rice Fields Under a Clear Blue Sky
One of the most beautiful sights in rural Korea during autumn is the rice fields turning golden.
As the rice approaches harvest time, the green fields gradually change into shades of yellow and gold. On a clear morning, the contrast between the golden rice, green mountains, and deep blue sky is especially beautiful.
These fields are not part of a tourist attraction. They are working farmland, where local farmers grow rice that will eventually become part of everyday meals.
That is what makes this scenery meaningful to me. It is beautiful, but it is also part of someone’s daily work and livelihood.
Small Roads That Connect the Village
Another thing I love about the Korean countryside is its narrow roads.
Some roads run straight between rice fields, while others curve around small farms, trees, and hills.
They may not look particularly special on a map, but they are an important part of everyday rural life.
People use these roads to reach their homes, visit neighbors, work in the fields, and travel between different parts of the village.
There is something peaceful about seeing a quiet road stretching into the countryside, especially on a bright autumn morning.
Silver Grass Along the Roadside
Autumn in Korea is not only about colorful leaves and golden rice fields.
It is also the season when silver grass becomes one of the most recognizable sights in the countryside.
In Korean, this grass is called eoksae (억새).
Its tall stems and soft, feathery flower heads catch the sunlight beautifully. When the wind blows, the grass moves gently, making an ordinary roadside look surprisingly scenic.
You do not always need to visit a famous autumn destination to see it.
Sometimes, it is growing right beside a road you travel every day.
Persimmon Trees Beside Village Houses
Another familiar autumn sight in rural Korea is the persimmon tree.
Persimmons are called gam (감) in Korean, and their orange fruit is easy to recognize when it hangs among the leaves.
In some villages, persimmon trees grow inside private yards, with their branches reaching above the surrounding walls.
I photographed one of these trees beside an older village house.
The orange persimmons, concrete wall, and traditional-style tiled roof created a scene that felt distinctly rural and Korean.
Persimmons are also an important part of Korea’s autumn food culture. Depending on the variety and ripeness, they can be eaten fresh or enjoyed in other forms, including dried persimmons called gotgam (곶감).
A Small Pavilion Beneath a Large Tree
As I continued along the road, I also came across a small pavilion beside a large tree.
In Korea, these open-sided resting places are often called jeongja (정자).
They can be found in villages, parks, and scenic locations. Some are historic structures, while others are more recently built for local residents to use.
The pavilion in my photograph has a Korean-style tiled roof and wooden structure. A large tree stands beside it, providing shade over the surrounding area.
It is a simple but memorable part of the landscape.
Places like this remind me that the Korean countryside is not only about mountains and farmland. It is also about the small spaces that belong to village life.
A Farm Tractor Passing Through the Countryside
While I was taking photographs, a small farm tractor passed by, so I recorded a short video.
In Korea, this type of walking tractor is commonly called a gyeongungi (경운기).
These machines have been used for many years in Korean agriculture. Although modern farming equipment has changed a great deal, you can still see walking tractors in some rural areas.
For me, the sound and sight of a farm machine traveling along a country road are just as much a part of the countryside as the rice fields and mountains.
It is a small, ordinary moment, but one that shows what daily life in rural Korea really looks like.
The Beauty of an Ordinary Morning in Rural Korea
None of these places is a famous tourist destination.
There are no entrance tickets, sightseeing buses, or carefully planned photo spots.
They are simply the fields, roads, trees, and village buildings that I pass during an ordinary morning.
But when I stop to look, I realize how much beauty there is in these familiar surroundings.
The golden rice fields show the changing season. The silver grass adds movement to the roadside. The persimmon trees bring a touch of autumn color, while the village pavilion reminds me of the people who live here.
And the passing farm tractor brings everything back to the everyday rhythm of rural life.
This is the side of South Korea I want to share through Korea Unfiltered: not only the places people travel to see, but also the places where people live.
In Part 3 of this series, I will take a closer look at the crops growing in the fields along these country roads.
Because behind the beautiful scenery, there is another interesting story: what Korean farmers actually grow.