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Korea under siege by ultrafine dust

February 28, 2014

Buildings in central Seoul are shrouded in a cloud of ultrafine particles, Tuesday. The Korea Meteorological Administration announced that the average atmospheric concentration of particulate matter measuring 10 micrometers (PM10) on the day was 228 micrograms per cubic meter, the most dangerous level in its five-level air pollution scale. (Yonhap)

By Yoon Sung-won

Seen from a subway train crossing a Han River bridge on a morning commute, Seoul remained in a thick fog of fine dust.

On the street, commuters were walking without masks, looking like disarmed soldiers going to war.

Many of them may have regretted listening to the weather forecast about the clouds of dust receding.

Erring on the safe side, they should heed severe yellow sand warnings for March.

Yellow dust from deserts in western China and Mongolia, sucks in fine particulate matter above Beijing and is blown over to Korea.

The U.N. forecast that amounts of fine particulate matter from China will continue to increase at least until 2022, adding that it could rise until 2050 without proactive measures.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered stronger countermeasures to tackle this predicament last Tuesday.

The first round of meetings among Korea, China and Japan regarding policies against air pollution is scheduled for March in Beijing.

A girl receives treatment for a respiratory ailment at a hospital in Seoul.
(Yonhap)

Children wait to receive treatment at a hospital in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, Thursday. The number of patients suffering from respiratory illness caused by ultrafine dust soared during the week. (Yonhap)