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Flights delayed, accidents nationwide as fine dust blankets Korea

Published: 16 Jan. 2026, 18:40

A street near Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno District, central Seoul, is seen clouded in smog as fine dust levels rose on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]

A thick layer of fog and fine dust blanketed Korea on Friday, leading to a series of accidents across the country.

On the western coast of South Chungcheong, a person in their 50s who went missing in heavy fog was found unresponsive, while in Jeonju, North Jeolla, a pedestrian was killed in a traffic accident amid low visibility caused by the fine dust.

Flight operations were also disrupted, with visibility falling below 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) in most regions.

At around 6:11 a.m. Friday, a pedestrian was hit and killed by a van driven by a person while crossing a street in Jinbuk-dong, Deokjin District, Jeonju. Police believe the driver could not see properly due to the dense fog and fine dust and are investigating the exact circumstances of the crash.

At around 6:53 a.m. Friday, four vehicles collided near the Julpo Interchange on the southbound Seohaean Expressway, injuring a person who was later transported to hospital with significant shoulder injuries. Just four minutes later, a freight truck traveling in the wrong direction hit a structure near the same location.

Visibility on parts of the western coast and inland regions of North Jeolla, including Jeonju, Jeongeup and Namwon, dropped below 100 meters (328 feet) due to the fog. Visibility refers to the farthest distance that can be seen with the naked eye.

In South Chungcheong, a person went missing while walking in thick fog and was found about three and a half hours later unresponsive on a beach.

Vehicles wait for the green light on a street in Gwangju as fine dust caused smog on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]

At around 7:14 a.m., emergency responders received a call that the person had gone missing while walking alone on Unyeo Beach in Janggok-ri in Gonam-myeon, Taean County. The person’s family reported the incident after receiving a message saying, “The fog is so thick I can’t tell where I am or which direction I’m going.”

Police and fire authorities found the individual floating offshore at around 10:50 a.m. by using a drone. The person was recovered in cardiac arrest and transported to a hospital. Police believe the individual became disoriented in the fog and fell, and they are investigating further.

Air traffic was also affected. As of 6:40 a.m. Friday, nine flights, including four departures and five arrivals, at Cheongju International Airport were delayed, according to Korea Airports Corporation’s Cheongju branch.

Among them was the Aero K flight RF332 to Fukuoka, Japan. It was originally scheduled to depart at 7 a.m. but was delayed until 7:40 a.m. Eastar Jet flight ZE782 from Taipei, Taiwan, was also delayed.

Fine dust levels are displayed on an electronic board on a street in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]

Low visibility advisories were issued at the Gwangju and Muan airports as well. These advisories are triggered when visibility drops below 1,600 meters.

Fine dust was also severe. Yellow dust originating from the Gobi Desert in China caused high concentrations of fine particulate matter nationwide. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the fine dust particles mixed with water vapor, contributing to the formation of dense fog.

In Seoul, the hourly average concentration of ultrafine dust at 10 a.m. was 104 micrograms per cubic meter, classified as “very bad,” above 76 micrograms. This was the second-highest level in the country after Sejong, which recorded 108 micrograms.

A fire in Guryong Village, Gaepo-dong, Gangnam District, southern Seoul, that broke out around 5 a.m. Friday also contributed to the elevated dust levels. Thick black smoke spread as far as 600 meters from the site, filling the sky and delaying the deployment of firefighting helicopters due to poor visibility.

Smoke billows up from a fire that broke out at Guryong Village, Gaepo-dong, Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 16. [YONHAP]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued an ultrafine dust advisory at 11 a.m., which is triggered when the hourly average concentration exceeds 75 micrograms per cubic meter for at least two consecutive hours.

Fog mixed with fine dust is expected to persist in some areas until the morning of Jan. 17, but should gradually clear in the afternoon as northwesterly winds move in, according to the KMA.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment forecasts that fine dust levels on Saturday will be “bad” in Daejeon, Sejong, North Chungcheong, Jeolla, Busan, Daegu, South Gyeongsang and Jeju.

The capital region and South Chungcheong are also expected to see poor air quality through the morning, with Gangwon, Ulsan and North Gyeongsang affected into the early afternoon.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]