Air pollution hits Seoul, major cities

Local governments lifted fine dust advisories Friday after high levels of particles disrupted daily activities nationwide.

Municipal officials in Seoul closed a skating rink in front of City Hall while flights from Gimpo International Airport in Gyeonggi Province were delayed due to poor vision caused by rising dust levels.

Seoul reported fine dust levels of 189 micrograms per cubic meter of air while Incheon and Suwon recorded more than 190 micrograms per cubic meter. Dust in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province and Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province exceeded 200 and 180, respectively.

At around 4 p.m., Seoul, Incheon, and eight cities in Gyeonggi Province lifted the advisories.

Officials at the Korea Meteorological Administration reported that weak winds and heavy fogs absorbed floating dust, locking up higher-than-normal amounts in the atmosphere.

Fine dust levels between 31 and 80 micrograms per cubic meter are considered “normal” by officials while levels between 121 and 200 are considered “adverse.”

By Jeong Hunny
(hj257@heraldcorp.com)