If you've been watching our news bulletins for the past few days you'll know that title means it's top ten stories of the year time.<br />Let's start with the weather we experienced in South Korea in 2018.<br />The summer was unbearably hot,... one of the hottest on record with the mercury topping 40 degrees Celsius in some areas.<br />Fine dust continued to dominate the headlines as well... and sadly,... a solution to the public health crisis remains out of reach.<br /> Yoon Jung-min reports. <br />"The heat this summer was stressful... and almost unbearable." <br /><br />"I don't normally use the air conditioner a lot, but this summer I used it more than usual." <br /><br />"It's not often we go out without face masks on these days because of the severe fine dust." <br /><br />"The fine dust in Seoul is really bad. The first thing, I think, is to try and find a way to get rid of it." <br /><br />Unexpected weather like the heatwave this past summer... and the fine dust in the air... causes people stress and even threatens their health.<br /><br />In August, Hongcheon in Gangwon-do Province, saw temperatures reach 41 degrees Celsius, while the capital Seoul got up to nearly 40 degrees.<br />People suffered heat-related illness, dozens died, and the prices of fruit and vegetables shot up.<br /><br />"There were six regions that saw temperatures soar to 40. This is noteworthy because, meteorologically, summers that get above 40 degrees happen in a tropical climate. This could be a sign that Korea's summer climate is turning tropical."<br /><br />The problem in winter was fine dust pollution. People had to refrain from outdoor activities, and an increasing number of people suffered respiratory illnesses.<br /><br />"The fine dust level had gone down until 2012, but it started to rebound recently due mainly to China's rapid industrialization. It's also because of cars and coal heating."<br /><br />The Korean government has stepped up to combat the fine dust.<br />Next year, when levels get really bad, nearly 2-point-7 million cars will be banned from the roads.<br />The government's also going to get rid of incentives for so-called "clean" diesel cars,... and it will work with neighboring countries such as China.<br /><br />People are hoping that in the new year the air will be cleaner and the summer heat less extreme.<br />Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News. <br />
