Cherry blossoms were officially declared to have bloomed in Seoul on Friday.

The declaration is in accordance with the Korea Meteorological Administration's(KMA) standard for the flowering of cherry blossoms, which is when there are at least three flowers on the cherry blossom tree at its observatory in Jongno District.

The cherry blossom flowering this year is four days earlier than the yearly average, but three days late compared to last year.

The weather agency said cherry blossoms in Seoul's Yeouido area, one of the nation's major habitats, began to bloom on Thursday, three days earlier than the yearly average.

The standard for full bloom of cherry blossoms is when at least 80 percent have flowered in one tree, and it normally takes around four days following the initial bloom.