Sejong, December 07 - Prime Minister Han Duck-soo presided over the 10th Special Policy Committee on Fine Dust meeting on November 25. The Special Policy Committee on Fine Dust was established under the Prime Minister's office to deliberate related policies, plans, and implementation. The Committee consists of 40 or fewer members from the government and civilian members, including a co-chairperson. The Committee deliberated the implementation plan of the 4th Fine Dust Seasonal Management program. The seasonal management program is to efficiently reduce and manage the emission of fine dust during a period when the monthly average concentration of ultra-fine dust is particularly deepened from December 1 to March 31 due to seasonal factors. 

The government has made it a national agenda to lower the national average concentration from 18μg/m3 in 2021 to 13μg/m3 by reducing ultrafine dust by 30% by 2027. The government established the implementation plan in line with the national agenda. It set the target level of ultra-fine dust and its generating substances at 10% lower than those set for the 3rd Seasonal Management program, which was implemented from December 2021 to March 2022. It is the biggest reduction target since the seasonal management program started in 2019. The plan focuses on protecting public health from high fine dust concentrations from the winter of this year to the spring of next year.         

The highlights of the "Implementation Plan of the 4th Fine Dust Seasonal Management" are as follows. 

First, the government is taking preemptive measures in the public sector for better results of the seasonal management program. Since October 2022, the government organizations such as Korea District Heating Corporation and Public Resource Recovery Facilities are voluntarily trying to reduce fine dust. At the same time, driving public agencies' grade 5 emission vehicles is restricted. The government is cracking down on the illegal disposal of waste from major industrial complexes and collecting agricultural waste. 

Second, the government will strongly manage to reduce fine dust by sector during the seasonal management program. The government will assign voluntary reduction targets with a fixed amount of fine dust for 350 large businesses in the industrial sector, and the local environmental office will exclusively monitor the company's emissions. In addition, the government will monitor stack emissions remotely using drones, mobile measurement vehicles, and spectroscopy equipment. Civilian surveillance groups will inspect factories suspected of illegal emissions. For the power generation sector, of all the public coal-fired power stations, the government will shut down stations #8 through #14 and operate under 80% of normal capacity for the remaining 44 units. All private coal-fired power stations, including the stations built this year, will participate in the reduction by signing voluntary agreements. Since October 18, the government and public officials have been taking intensive energy-saving measures, including maintaining the indoor temperature under 17°C, turning on the central heater only at specified times, not using personal heaters, and not using landscape and indoor lighting. The government will also encourage the private sector's participation in fine dust reduction through campaigns. 

For the transportation sector, driving grade 5 emission vehicles will not be allowed in greater Seoul, Busan, and Daegu, and the government will impose a penalty for those vehicles that do not comply. Furthermore, the Seoul city government will charge an extra fee for any grade 5 emission vehicles using public parking lots. The Seoul city government will give special points to those who have membership in the passenger vehicle mileage program and drive less than the specified distance to manage fine dust generated from the transportation sector. The government will crack down on illegal emissions and idling by large diesel vehicles and buses, dubious private vehicle inspectors suspected of inadequate inspections, and construction sites using outdated construction machinery.

To reduce fine dust in and around port areas, the government plans to strongly monitor the use of fuel oils with reduced sulfur content for ships and inspect flying dust, such as scrap metals and grains, at the cargo's loading docks. New speed limits of 10-40km/h will be effective in the five major harbors, including Busan, Incheon, Yeosu, Gwangyang, and Ulsan.

For the agricultural and living sectors, the government will increase its subsidy to collect agricultural waste plastic film from KRW 10 (2022) to KRW 20 (2023) per kilogram. The Korea Saemaul Undong Center will collect agricultural waste. Fine dust concentration levels around more construction sites near residential areas will make public. Those construction sites will be required to minimize flying dust particles. At the same time, the government will designate more fine dust control areas to protect the more sensitive and vulnerable better.

Third, the government will take measures to protect public health and reduce and manage fine dust. 

The government will continuously inspect indoor air quality in public places such as subways, train stations, and airports. Before the Seasonal Management program, the government checked vulnerable groups on-site, including daycare centers, kindergartens, and senior nursing facilities. Facial masks will be provided to outdoor workers in the fields of construction, sanitation, and delivery on days of high-concentration fine dust. 

Fourth, the government will improve the forecast for high-concentration fine dust levels and work on international cooperation. A high concentration of fine dust will be forecasted 36 hours in advance instead of 12 hours before. The government will improve forecast accuracy in the future by expanding the forecast target to other regions. The government will continue to discuss with China from the planning to the evaluation phase of the fine dust seasonal management program. The government will establish a foundation for international cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and other international organizations. 

To achieve goals for fine dust reduction targets during the Seasonal Management program, the government will form a team under the Prime Minister's Office to monitor the progress regularly. Moreover, legislative actions will be taken to reduce air pollutants more effectively during the Seasonal Management program, centering on the national agenda next year.

Contact: Park Jae-wan, Deputy Director

Air Quality Policy Division / +82-(0)44-201-6874

Foreign Media Contact: Chun Minjo(Rachel)

+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr