During the 6th Seasonal Management Period
Ultrafine Dust Concentration at 14.5㎍/㎥
Lowest Among 17 Metropolitan Cities and Provinces
Jeonnam Province recently conducted a fine dust reduction campaign during the 6th Seasonal Management Period. Provided by Jeonnam Province
Jeonnam Province has been identified as the region with the lowest concentration of ultrafine dust in the country.
On May 18, Jeonnam Province announced that during the 6th Seasonal Fine Dust Management Period, which was implemented from December last year to March this year, the average concentration of ultrafine dust (PM-2.5) was 14.5㎍/㎥. This was the lowest among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide, maintaining the cleanest air quality in the country.
In addition, the average concentration during the most recent management period was reduced by 8.8% compared to the previous year (15.9㎍/㎥), indicating annual improvement in air quality.
Jeonnam Province has prioritized protecting residents' health and has actively promoted fine dust reduction measures in cooperation with cities, counties, and industrial sites.
During the 6th Seasonal Management Period, the province managed and monitored weekly the implementation of 18 tasks across four sectors: transportation, industry and power generation, intensive management of residential spaces, and forecasting and preemptive response.
In the transportation sector, emission and idling checks were intensively conducted on 3,450 vehicles with a high contribution to fine dust emissions. The province visited 37 public construction sites within air quality management zones, each with a contract value of at least 10 billion KRW, to inspect restrictions on the use of old construction machinery.
In the industry and power generation sector, advanced monitoring equipment such as drones and mobile mass spectrometry vehicles, as well as private inspection teams, were deployed to continuously monitor areas with a high concentration of air pollutant-emitting businesses, such as industrial complexes. As a result, 449 administrative actions were taken, including fines and corrective orders. In addition, a restriction was imposed on the maximum output of two coal-fired power plants in Yeosu, limiting their operation to 80% of maximum capacity.
In the intensive management of residential spaces, indoor air quality was inspected at 284 multi-use facilities, including daycare centers. The province also operated a joint public-private collection period for agricultural waste in rural areas and a support team for crushing agricultural by-products, collecting and processing approximately 434,000 tons of agricultural residue.
In the forecasting and preemptive response sector, real-time air quality information was provided through the Jeonnam Province Air Quality Information System. When high concentrations of fine dust (exceeding 50㎍/㎥) occurred, alerts were promptly issued and public action guidelines were promoted.
Additionally, meteorological conditions such as an increase in the number of high wind days (by 11 days) and a decrease in stagnant air days (by 12 days) compared to the previous year also contributed positively to the reduction in ultrafine dust concentrations.
The annual average concentration of ultrafine dust in Jeonnam Province in 2024 was 12.3㎍/㎥, which is 21.2% lower than the national average (15.6㎍/㎥) and the lowest in the country. Compared to 2015, this represents a 50.4% reduction (from 24.8㎍/㎥ to 12.3㎍/㎥), indicating a significant improvement in air quality.
Park Jongpil, Director of the Environment and Forest Bureau of Jeonnam Province, explained, "The concentration of ultrafine dust has improved significantly thanks to intensive reduction policies targeting key emission sources in industry, transportation, and daily life, as well as the cooperation of residents."
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