Starting Tomorrow, Metropolitan Area 'Grade 5 Vehicles' Operation Crackdown... Excluding College Entrance Exam Day

Minister Jo Myung-rae's Briefing on the 'Fine Dust Seasonal Management System'
Up to 100,000 KRW Daily Fine for Driving Restriction Violations
Crackdown on Illegal Emissions from Workplaces... Reduction of Coal Power Plant Operations
"Requesting Active Public Participation... Accelerating International Cooperation"

Asia Economy DB=Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Starting tomorrow, the government will begin crackdowns on the operation of Grade 5 emission vehicles in Seoul and other metropolitan areas for four months. A fine of 100,000 KRW will be imposed for violations of vehicle operation restrictions. More than 1,000 private inspection teams will also be deployed to monitor illegal emissions from workplaces. This is a high-intensity measure to reduce fine dust during the winter season.

On the 30th, Minister of Environment Cho Myung-rae held a briefing at the Government Seoul Office and announced the implementation of the "2nd Seasonal Fine Dust Management System." The seasonal management system will be in effect for four months from December 1 to March 31 of next year. It strengthens comprehensive measures across transportation, power generation, industry, and daily life to respond to high concentrations of fine dust.

The Ministry of Environment expects that through the seasonal management system, the number of days with poor ultrafine dust levels (36㎍/㎥ or higher) will be reduced by 3 to 6 days compared to the past three years, and the average concentration will decrease by 1.3 to 1.7㎍/㎥.

First, starting tomorrow, restrictions on the operation of Grade 5 emission vehicles will begin for the first time in the metropolitan areas including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. As of last month, there are 1.42 million Grade 5 emission vehicles registered nationwide that have not undergone low-emission measures. The operation crackdown will be enforced on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. There will be no enforcement on weekends and holidays. If a Grade 5 vehicle without low-emission measures is caught operating in the metropolitan area, a fine of up to 100,000 KRW per day will be imposed.

However, exceptions for enforcement have been set by city and province. Seoul City will exempt only vehicles without Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) until the end of this year and will enforce restrictions on all such vehicles starting January 1 next year. Additionally, if low-emission devices are installed or early scrapping is completed by November 30 next year, fines will be waived. Gyeonggi and Incheon will postpone enforcement until March next year for vehicles that have applied for low-emission measures and those without developed emission reduction devices.

The Ministry of Environment and metropolitan local governments operate unmanned enforcement cameras at 178 locations. On the 27th, an integrated control center was opened at the Korea Environment Corporation. It plans to monitor and support the enforcement of Grade 5 vehicle restrictions in real time.

Minister Cho Myung-rae urged, "Owners of Grade 5 emission vehicles nationwide should hurry to apply for low-emission measures such as installing emission reduction devices at their local governments."

The Ministry of Environment will not enforce the restriction on Grade 5 vehicle operation on December 3, the day of the College Scholastic Ability Test, considering the convenience of test-takers.

Minister of Environment Cho Myung-rae Photo by Yonhap News

Voluntary participation from the industrial sector to reduce fine dust emissions will also expand. The number of large workplaces participating in this seasonal management system will increase from 111 last year to 324.

The Ministry of Environment will conduct crackdowns using advanced equipment such as drones, focusing on suspected illegal emission workplaces and industrial complexes. Local governments nationwide operate about 110 private inspection teams to focus on dust from construction sites and open-air burning. These private inspection teams will also be deployed alongside enforcement officers to monitor workplace emissions and vehicle exhaust gases.

Restrictions on coal power plant operations will also be expanded. From next month until February next year, the operation of 9 to 16 aging coal power plants will be halted, and the remaining coal power plants will be limited to an 80% upper limit within the remaining reserve capacity.

Furthermore, indoor air quality inspections and management will be strengthened at more than 3,700 multi-use facilities, including about 600 underground stations, railway stations, and bus terminals.

Policy cooperation between the governments of Korea and China will continue. At recent Korea-China Environment Minister and Foreign Minister meetings, both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in responding to fine dust. China has announced strong implementation of its autumn-winter measures (October to March). During the seasonal management period, policy exchange projects on fine dust will also be conducted at the local government level, such as between Chungnam Province and Jiangsu Province, and Seoul City and Beijing.

To secure momentum for the seasonal management system, the government will operate a joint comprehensive inspection team (led by the 2nd Vice Minister of State Affairs) at the Office for Government Policy Coordination and a comprehensive situation room (led by the Vice Minister of Environment) at the Ministry of Environment.

Minister Cho said, "I earnestly ask every citizen to actively participate in the seasonal fine dust management system to bring forward the day when blue skies become everyday life." He added, "The government will also accelerate international cooperation with neighboring countries such as China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.