What are the first cities that come to mind when you think of excessive air pollution? If you’re anything like we were before diving deeper into this topic, you probably think of Chinese cities like Beijing and Indian metropolises like New Delhi. It’s true that these two cities regularly rank at the top of the world’s most polluted cities list, but Seoul is actually a close contender in terms of its bad air quality.
Koreans seem acutely aware of the air pollution issue in Seoul, as it is common to see numerous people wearing protective masks on days that the air quality is especially poor. During these times of year, visits to the doctor also tend to increase rapidly due to respiratory illnesses directly or indirectly related to air pollution.
Given South Korea’s proximity to China, it’s not unreasonable to assume that much of Seoul’s pollution issue comes from air that winds blow over from China. But it’s also true that Seoul is a very industrial city that has grown extremely fast in recent years, and this hasn’t always been through the use of clean energy. So, we started wondering if it’s really fair to blame China for South Korea’s pollution issue. On the flip side, is it possible that at least part of the issue stems from problems created at home?
To get to the bottom of this issue, we created a special two-tiered segment for our viewers. First, we hit the streets of Seoul to ask ordinary Koreans what they think of the air pollution in Seoul, including its primary cause and origin. Then, we met with Professor Chang of the National Institute of Environmental Research to get an expert’s opinion South Korea's air pollution issue.
Curious to learn more? Check out this video for a deep dive into this issue, and let us know what you think below!
