[News Terms] The Return of Winter's Unwelcome Guest, the 'Fine Dust Seasonal Management System'

The season of fine dust has returned once again. Fine dust refers to particulate matter that floats or scatters in the atmosphere. It consists of ionic components such as nitrate (NO3-), ammonium ion (NH4+), sulfate (SO42-), as well as carbon compounds and metal compounds. Particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers (㎛) or less are classified as fine dust, and those with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (㎛) or less are classified as ultrafine dust.

On November 23, when the fine dust concentration in the metropolitan area was at the 'Bad' level, the city center viewed from Yeouido, Seoul, was shrouded in fine dust. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

Every year, from December to March of the following year is the period when high concentrations of fine dust occur frequently, with the average concentration of ultrafine dust about 45% higher than usual. Especially this year, the fine dust concentration is forecasted to be about 9% higher than last year, prompting the government to implement the ‘Fine Dust Seasonal Management System’ starting from the 1st of next month.

The Fine Dust Seasonal Management System is a policy where the government enforces strengthened measures to reduce fine dust emissions and manage air quality for four months from December 1 to March 31 of the following year, aiming to mitigate high concentrations of fine dust and protect public health. It was first introduced in December 2019 following public policy proposals from the National Climate and Environment Council.

During the seasonal management period, additional emission reduction measures such as vehicle operation restrictions, emission reductions, and nitrogen oxide reduction are implemented. Representative measures include restricting the operation of grade 5 vehicles, suspending coal-fired power plants, adjusting the operating rates of large industrial sites, and reducing dust at construction sites. Additionally, to protect public health, pre-inspections of facilities used by sensitive and vulnerable groups, distribution of masks, and sending disaster alert messages are also carried out.

In particular, this year the area subject to grade 5 vehicle operation restrictions has been expanded. Until last year, the restrictions were enforced in the Seoul metropolitan area including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, as well as in the metropolitan cities of Busan and Daegu. This year, the restrictions will be extended to include the special and metropolitan cities of Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan, and Sejong. The vehicle monitoring hours are from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. If a grade 5 vehicle without low-emission measures is caught operating in the designated area during monitoring hours, a fine of 100,000 KRW per day will be imposed. As of last month, it is estimated that there are about 610,000 grade 5 vehicles nationwide that have not undergone low-emission measures. However, emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances, as well as vehicles for the disabled, are exempt from monitoring. Vehicles owned by basic livelihood security recipients, lower-income groups, and small business owners are also excluded from the restrictions.

Furthermore, the areas subject to 36-hour advance high-concentration fine dust forecasts have been expanded from the existing Seoul metropolitan area to include the Chungcheong and Honam regions. High-concentration forecast information, along with air quality information for public spaces such as schools and roads, is disclosed in real-time on the website (Air Korea).

In addition, during the seasonal management period, focused efforts are made to reduce fine dust near residential areas such as roads and construction sites. On roads with heavy traffic, the operation of street cleaning vehicles will be increased, and the introduction of zero-emission cleaning vehicles will be expanded. Construction sites are required to implement dust reduction measures such as dustproof covers, sealing of loading beds, and water spraying to reduce scattered dust.