Home > National > Environment

Fine dust levels to worsen for most of the country on Monday

Published: 08 Mar. 2026, 18:59 Updated: 08 Mar. 2026, 19:01

Seoul is seen covered in smog on Feb. 22, as a fine dust advisory is issued for the greater Seoul area. [NEWS1]

Although daytime temperatures will remain mild, the level of fine dust is forecast to worsen across much of the country on Monday.

Temperatures in Seoul are expected to reach 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), but morning temperatures will remain low, creating a wide gap between daytime and nighttime readings.

“Starting early on Monday, fine dust from overseas will flow into central-western regions along northwesterly winds and move southeast,” the Korea Environment Corporation said on Sunday. “Fine dust concentrations are expected to rise in most regions on Monday afternoon.”

Both particulate matter and fine particulate matter concentrations are expected to reach “bad” levels in the Seoul metropolitan area — including Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi — as well as inland Gangwon and the Daejeon, Sejong and Chungcheong regions.

The general public should limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities such as hiking and running when fine dust levels fall into the “bad” category, the Korea Environment Corporation said.

Asthma patients in particular should use inhalers more frequently during outdoor activities. Those experiencing symptoms, including coughing or throat pain, should avoid going outside as much as possible.

Fine particulate matter, which has a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller, can penetrate the alveoli or blood vessels and negatively affect organs. Because exercise increases breathing volume by three to five times, more fine dust can be inhaled during that period.

Runners sprint during the Goyang Half Marathon in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on March 8. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

Large daily temperature gaps of more than 10 degrees Celsius are also expected from Monday to Wednesday. Seoul's morning low during that period will range from minus 1 degree to 1 degree Celsius, while the daytime high will range from 7 degrees to 10 degrees Celsius. The temperature gap will widen to 10 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday.

During the same period, temperatures are forecast to range from minus 4 degrees to 11 degrees Celsius in Chuncheon, Gangwon; minus 3 degrees to 10 degrees Celsius in Cheonan, South Chungcheong; minus 1 degree to 13 degrees Celsius in Suncheon, South Jeolla; and 1 degree to 12 degrees Celsius in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang.

“For the time being, morning temperatures will fall below zero in most regions nationwide — dropping below minus 5 degrees Celsius mainly in inland areas — and the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures will reach around 15 degrees Celsius, so people should take care of their health,” the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.

A bird is seen pirched on a spring blossom branch in Busan on March 6. [YONHAP]

Large swings in daily temperature can place stress on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. People should pay close attention to clothing and other measures to minimize changes in body temperature.

A 2018 study by Lee Whan-hee, a professor of biomedical data science at Pusan National University, and Kim Ho, a professor of public health at Seoul National University, analyzed mortality data from 308 cities in 10 countries, including Korea, Spain and Canada, between 1972 and 2013. The study found that deaths associated with daily temperature differences accounted for 2.5 percent of total deaths worldwide and 4.5 percent in Korea.

“As daily temperature gaps widen, acute stress can be placed on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems,” the researchers said. “Large daily temperature differences should also be managed as an independent risk factor in climate and health policies.”

Visitors to a canola flower field in Seongsan, Jeju Island, enjoy the warm weather on March 8. [NEWS1]

From Thursday to March 18, as the country approaches the spring equinox on March 20, skies are expected to be intermittently cloudy, but no rain is forecast. Morning temperatures will range from minus 2 degrees to 7 degrees Celsius, and daytime highs will range from 9 degrees to 16 degrees Celsius, remaining near seasonal averages. Forsythia flowers are expected to begin blooming in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, on Saturday.

“Frozen ground may thaw and weaken the ground surface,” the KMA said. “People should be cautious of ground subsidence, landslides and falling rocks at roads and construction sites.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HEO JEONG-WON [[email protected]]