[Edaily Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] Ahead of the peak fall foliage season, Naver (NAVER(035420)) has launched “Hiking Theme Weather,” a service that displays weather conditions for 301 major mountains nationwide tailored to specific hiking trails and departure times. When users select their desired trail and time, they can check temperature, wind, and precipitation changes by section based on the actual progression of their hike.

Naver announced on the 8th that it launched “Hiking Theme Weather” last September, which provides ultra-short-term forecasts based on the coordinates of 301 major mountains nationwide.

Currently, Naver provides customized weather information for a total of 868 themed areas, including hiking trails, 495 golf courses, 30 soccer fields, and 20 baseball stadiums.

Forecasts Based on ‘Mountain Coordinates,’ Not Administrative Districts

A key feature of “Hiking Theme Weather” is that it provides weather information based on the actual coordinates of mountains, rather than nearby administrative districts.

It has also added a “Hiking Trail Weather” feature that combines hiking trail data accumulated on Naver Maps with hourly forecasts.

When users select a mountain, hiking trail, and start time, they can preview changes in temperature, wind, and precipitation for each section of the hike as time progresses.

Naver explained that this is the first time in Korea that weather guidance is provided based on specific trails and departure times.

From sunrise times to fall foliage information

It also provides additional information needed for planning a hike. The “Seasonal Scenery” feature allows users to check not only sunrise times but also seasonal landscape information, such as the timing of fall foliage and flower blooms.

Users can check this information at any time on the Naver Weather screen and use it to plan hikes or fall foliage trips.

Naver plans to gradually expand the seasonal scenery feature to other themes beyond hiking in the future.

Theme Weather Subscriptions Up 2.9x in 8 Months

Naver has been expanding its Theme Weather service, starting with baseball stadiums last August, followed by theme parks and ski resorts in December, soccer stadiums in February of this year, and golf courses in April.

As of the end of September, the cumulative number of Theme Weather subscriptions stood at approximately 213,000, a 2.9-fold increase in just eight months compared to 73,000 in January of this year.

The most subscribed-to location was Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which recorded approximately 25,000 subscriptions.

Following the addition of hiking as the sixth theme, Naver plans to introduce a “sea fishing” theme before the end of the year.

Kim Hye-jin, a Naver leader, said, “Naver Weather has evolved beyond simply delivering forecasts to providing personalized weather-related information.” She added, “We introduced hiking—which sees consistent demand throughout all four seasons—as our sixth theme, and by adding the ‘Sea Fishing’ theme by the end of the year, we aim to cover all major outdoor activities.”