'Fine Dust Seasonal Management System' Seoul City Conducts Special Indoor Air Quality Inspections at 769 Locations Including Underground Stations, Daycare Centers, and PC Rooms

On-site Inspection of Compliance with Indoor Air Quality Standards and Proper Operation of Ventilation Equipment

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 29th that it will conduct a "special indoor air quality inspection" starting from the 6th of next month, focusing on multi-use facilities closely related to citizens' daily lives during the "Fine Dust Seasonal Management Period" until March next year.

The inspection targets a total of 769 locations, including 363 legally managed public transportation facilities such as subways, railways, buses, and airport terminal waiting areas, as well as 406 facilities used by health-sensitive groups vulnerable to fine dust and youth facilities. Officials from Seoul City and autonomous districts will jointly conduct the inspections.

Seoul City will inspect all public transportation facilities used by citizens, including underground stations and subway cars, and expand indoor air pollution testing. Some underground stations where the average concentration of ultrafine dust measured in real-time exceeds the standard will be intensively managed.

Inspections will also be expanded to academies and PC rooms, where youth usage is expected to increase during the winter vacation period. For facilities used by health-sensitive groups such as daycare centers and elderly care facilities, inspections will be conducted either on-site or remotely depending on the COVID-19 situation.

This special inspection will check compliance with legal obligations such as maintaining standards for ultrafine dust (PM-2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO2), and proper operation of ventilation systems, as well as whether management for maintaining comfortable indoor air quality is being properly carried out.

Hadong-jun, Director of the Air Policy Division of Seoul City, said, "Indoor air quality management is even more important in winter as many people gather indoors," and added, "We ask managers of multi-use facilities to strengthen the operation of ventilation systems and manage indoor air quality more thoroughly."