We woke up this morning to a thick blanket of smog and ultra-fine dust shrouding the entire country.
It's so bad that the authorities are taking emergency measures to try and protect the population from the nasty air.
Korea was hit by dangerously high levels of fine dust throughout the weekend,… and today, it's no different.
In fact, it appears to be even worse.
Levels of PM two-point-five, the finest diameter dust that can penetrate deep into the lungs,... is topping 50 micrograms per cubic meter almost everywhere,… with Seoul seeing 100-plus.
Braving the dust to give us an update,...we have our Lee Jee-hyun standing by at one of Seoul's busiest commuter hubs,... Sadang Station.
Jee-hyun, are you seeing most people wearing face masks?
Hi Semin.
It's indeed a grim morning today. I've been seeing early morning commuters come by with their face masks on... to protect themselves from the fine dust.
Wearing a mask is a must this morning, just being outdoors for a few minutes can cause itchy eyes, sore throat and even headaches.
It's a one rough morning commute.
An ultra fine dust alert has been in place for the capital since Saturday night, and it's still in place. According to research, it only takes about 5 minutes for ultra fine dust particles to enter the lungs.... again, be sure to wear a face mask.
High levels of fine dust are expected until Wednesday, while those in southern provinces will have slightly better air quality compared to those of us in the capital area, but it's always better to be safe than sorry so have a face mask handy and check the levels before heading out.
Beijing will also have unhealthy levels of fine dust,... while Tokyo will have moderately high levels, with both capital cities expected to have warm afternoon highs.
Nothing to complain about temperature-wise here in Korea. Seoul is waking up to a low of 7 degrees, Daegu and Gyeongju are having a low of 6 degrees.
Daily highs will be warm under sunny skies, Seoul getting up to 16 degrees, Daejeon and Busan at 20 degrees.
Wear glasses, no contacts today, take public transportation if you can.... be sure to wash hands frequently and drink plenty of water to protect yourself from the smog storm. That's all for me, back to you Semin.
