"Samhan Sami, Weather Conditions Align to Worsen Fine Dust Concentration"

Fine Dust Concentration Rises Due to Lack of Strong Winds
"Fine Dust Continues to Occur... Perception Differs with East and West Winds"
"Open Windows for 10 Minutes Every Hour to Ventilate"

On the 9th, when an ultrafine dust advisory was issued in Seoul, the city center viewed from Namsan in Seoul was shrouded in fine dust. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Last weekend, the entire country suffered from fine dust, and Kim Seung-bae, head of the Korea Natural Disaster Association, explained that although fine dust occurs daily, the degree to which citizens feel its impact varies depending on weather conditions.

On the 9th, Kim appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and regarding the fine dust that surged last weekend, he said, "Because fine dust concentration inevitably rises in mild weather, the new term 'Samhan Sami' (three cold days followed by four days of fine dust) was coined," adding, "There is no other cause; the weather condition of 'when the wind does not blow strongly' perfectly matches the high fine dust concentration."

On the 8th, when fine dust concentration levels across Seoul showed a 'Bad' status, an electronic display near City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, showed a notice about the implementation of fine dust reduction measures. Photo by Yonhap News

Kim explained, "Fine dust always occurs. It increases when the air does not disperse and gets trapped," and added, "When is it unusually high? When China contributes from the west of our country, the fine dust concentration rises." He continued, "On Saturday the 7th, the contribution came from the west of China," noting, "The west of China is an industrial area."

Kim pointed out that although there are seasonal differences in fine dust emissions due to winter heating usage, weather conditions also affect the perception of fine dust. He said, "The east is the clean area of the East Sea, so the air is clear," and explained, "When the east wind blows, our country is clean, and when the west wind blows, the fine dust concentration inevitably rises."

Finally, Kim urged people to follow guidelines when fine dust occurs. He emphasized, "If you do not ventilate for one, two, or three days, indoor fine dust concentration and air pollution levels become higher," and stressed, "Even if fine dust is severe outside, you should open the windows for about 10 minutes every hour to ventilate."

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