The South Korean ring-necked pheasant is common throughout the 
Tsushima islands, except in dense forests. Areas of cultivation, 
surrounded by rough country and containing grasslands, brush and 
scattered trees, are favorite locations for this bird. Buckwheat 
fields surrounded by camellia bushes (Camellia japonica) are reported 
by Taka-Tsukasa (18) as being so heavily frequented by pheasants that 
crop damage complaints may arise where the number of birds is not 
held down. Pine and oak trees, and bamboo are scattered over the 
islands while understory plants may consist of Artemesia spp., Carex 
sp., Vitex sp., Rubus sp., and Lespedeza spp. Grass species include 
Chinese silver-grass (Miscanthus sinensis) and species of the genera 
Agropyron, Avena, Bromus, Digitaria, Poa and Setaria, most of which 
are also represented in the United States. 
The Manchurian ring-necked pheasant (P. c. pallasi) is reported 
to live under similar habitat conditions but where it is colder, the 
snowfall is greater and mountains are higher and more rugged, than in 
South Korea. Productive habitat is said to occur where hills, from 
500 to 2,000 feet in elevation, are lined with oak and birch, and 
valleys and hillsides are planted mainly to hardy millets and oats. 
Climatic Comparisons 
South Korea, in general, has a humid, mid-latitude, monsoonal 
climate where average winter monthly temperatures are below freezing 
and the summers are hot and humid. The average annual precipitation 
varies from 23 inches in the northern interior to more than 60 inches 
on the southern coast and Cheju Do island, Snow falls annually on an 
average of 25 to 30 days along the east and west coasts of South Korea 
but only on an average of 18 days at Pusan on the southeast coast. 
Snow may remain on the ground an average of 29 and 39 days each winter 
at Seoul and Kangnung respectively. Snowfall is rare on Cheju Do and 
Tsushima islands. 
Chief features of the Korean summer climate are frequent heavy 
rains and fairly high temperatures. The average July rainfall at 
Pusan in southeastern Korea is 11 inches. No area in the United States 
receives as much warm rain in summer as southern, and particularly 
southeastern Korea. 
High summer temperatures occur in South Korea, At Taegu temper- 
atures over 77°F. were recorded on an average of 116 days per summer 
and over 86°F. on 48 days. The highest temperature at Taegu is noted 
as 108°F, At Kyongsong (near Seoul) in the northwest and Kangnung to 
the northeast along the coast, high temperatures of 100°F. have been 
recorded over a 10-year period. 
Winter weather is variable in Korea but freezing temperatures can 
be expected even at the warmest city, Pusan, for at least 35 days each 
year and may continue for as many as 80 days. At Seoul, freezing tem- 
peratures for 120 days or more a year are common, In cold years the 
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