Enrollment curves for Korea-heavy portfolios flatten predictably twice a year. Ignoring those patterns leads sponsors to misread site performance.
Chuseok and Seollal create two-week screen holes
Most outpatient oncology sites reduce screening hours the week before and after major lunar holidays. We annotate those windows on every velocity folio for APAC studies. Comparing holiday weeks to non-holiday weeks without annotation makes competent sites look negligent.
Monsoon weeks affect travel for rural patients
Sites in Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces report lower consent completion when heavy rain disrupts inter-city bus routes. The effect is modest—often three to five fewer screens—but visible when you overlay regional weather summaries supplied by the sponsor.
University hospital sites recover faster
Academic centers with resident coverage tend to rebound within one reporting cycle after holidays. Private clinics may need two cycles. Segmenting site tiers in your chart legend prevents unfair cross-comparison.
Ask CRAs for local context before labeling a site "slow"
A flat curve during August sometimes reflects PI vacation schedules announced months earlier. Our folios include a "known planned pause" row when CRAs supply dates during the reconciliation call.