Korea to reduce ultrafine dust levels by a third over decade

Clouds of fine dust blanket the Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul, on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

Korea will try to reduce ultrafine dust levels by 33 percent over the next decade, the government announced Tuesday.

By the time President Yoon Suk-yeol completes his five-year term in 2027, the government hopes to slash ultrafine dust levels by 27.2 percent, akin to the levels of Paris and London, said the Ministry of Environment.

The plans were announced by the ministry on Tuesday during a press conference revealing the third so-called comprehensive plan to improve the atmospheric environment, set to go into practice from 2023 to 2032.

According to the Environment Ministry, Korea’s yearly average ultrafine dust level stood at 18 micrograms per cubic meter by the end of 2021, down from 2015’s 26 micrograms per cubic meter.

The government wants to lower that level to 13 micrograms per cubic meter by 2027 and 12 micrograms per cubic meter by 2032.

Seoul’s yearly average ultrafine dust level in 2021 – 18 micrograms per cubic meter – was the 35th highest among the 38 capitals of OECD nations.

In April 2018, the Environment Ministry said it would lower ultrafine dust levels to 15 micrograms per cubic meter by this year, but officials say 2022’s yearly average will likely be 19 micrograms per cubic meter.

This year’s annual average was 18 micrograms per cubic meter up to the end of November, but figures for December alone tend to have a large impact on the yearly average due to pollutants flying in from coal-heating China at the end of the year, officials said.

To meet the goals in the third comprehensive plan, the Environment Ministry said it would toughen regulations on old diesel cars, in part by banning them in the country’s major cities.

The ministry said it will also tighten control on both large factories and small businesses such as dry cleaners, convincing them to use eco-friendly materials and cut back on carbon emissions.

To prevent pollutants from crossing borders into Korea from China and Japan, the Environment Ministry said it will also strengthen cooperation between the countries, such as holding meetings with environment ministers and sharing plans to tackle climate change.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN, JEONG EUN-HYE [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]