So looking at the skies here in the country... it's not so surprising to learn that Korea's air pollution is worse than any other country in the OECD. <br />Choi Si-young tells us more. <br /><br />Air pollution in South Korea -- in terms of ultra-fine dust concentration -- is not only more than TWICE the OECD average,... it's the WORST out of the entire group of advanced countries.<br /><br />According to a new OECD report, South Korea recorded an average of 25-point-one-four micrograms of PM 2.5 particles per cubic meter in 2017.<br />The OECD average was twelve-point-five.<br />Mexico and Italy were higher than the average, while Germany, France and the United Kingdom came in below. <br /><br />South Korea's air pollution is also bleak by local weather agency standards.<br /><br />In 2016, South Korea's National Institute of Environmental Research singled out Seoul as the most polluted major urban area among the cities it surveyed.<br />The South Korean capital had the highest ultrafine dust levels at an average of 26 micrograms per cubic meter.<br />That's almost twice as high as other surveyed cities such as London, Paris, Los Angeles and Tokyo.<br />Those cities ranged between 12 and 14 micrograms per cubic meter. <br /><br />Local weather experts point to China as the source of the heightened levels of ultrafine dust in South Korea. <br />According to the National Institute of Environmental Research, stagnant wind currents are making the situation even worse as the particles are not dispersed,... but linger over the peninsula.<br /><br />With air pollution in South Korea looking grimmer than ever, pressure is rising on the government to take much more wide-ranging steps to safeguard public health. <br />Choi Si-young, Arirang News. <br />
