Korean Job Discussion Forums

[huck]

I've been here for years, but I'm still not sure about this...

Why is the sky almost always white here in the summer? Even when the weather websites all say it's "sunny", the sky is usually white.

Is it pollution? Are major cities in the USA and other countries like this in the summer?

I just think the lack of blue sky is gets depressing as the summer goes on.

[Squire]

I would guess humidity has something to do with it, but probably pollution too. I've heard in Tibet, where the air is clean and it's very dry, the sky is a deep blue colour

[PigeonFart]

I'm very glad you brought up this topic. I thought i was the only one to notice such things. However, i have a slighlty different perception than you.

I noticed that you can rarely see the clouds with any clarity, and i assume it's because of the toxic haze of pollution that hangs over the city of Seoul (i live in Seoul, can't speak on behalf of other cities in Korea).

In other countries, the sky is blue, the outline of the clouds are clear, and you can see mountains and trees miles off in the distance. Not the case here, definitely to do with the pollution!

One of my students went on a vacation to the Alps in Switzerland (an unusual destination for a korean i have to admit...parents must be well off). I told her to write about it in her journal and give it to me to be corrected. She rambled on about how clean the air was!

Ocassionaly in Seoul on a cold crisp winter day you get the air quality to be almost....normal. Then it reminds you how crap the air quality usually is.

[Zyzyfer]

All you have to do is hit up one of the mountains in Seoul and you'll be able to see the haze that hangs over the city most days. When there's a solid breeze, it clears it up a fair bit.

[shostahoosier]

The sky is blue where I live.

Maybe its just a problem in the metropolitan cities.

My small village is actually pretty clean. I see the old people sweeping and cleaning up each morning as I head off to work.

[Squire]

I expect a part (perhaps a large part) of the pollution comes from China. I read somewhere that a quarter of the air pollution in California comes from China, which would be staggering if it were true, but if there is any air pollution from China at all so far away then Korea presumably gets a fair dose

[Konglishman]

I recently went on a tour of the DMZ and the sky had a nice clear blue color there.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Humidity + Pollution = smog in larger cities.

[GoldMember]

They use to teach children that Korea has the bluest sky in the world. That and having the best mothers in the world.

[JustinC]

Smoky fog, aka smog. Here, about 10 miles from the DMZ, it's also a bit misty in the mornings but in the afternoons the sky's usually blue unless it's cloudy.

As long as the pollution isn't stuck at ground level (rare as this is due to a clump of cold air hanging over warm in the city) then your health won't suffer.

[Zackback]

I was in Gunsan and I couldn't see the stars at night for days on end.

[byrddogs]

[bojangles]

Thanks for bringing this up.

I'm in JeollaNamdo and the first thing I notice every morning when I wake up is the white shy through my window. I've lost count of the consecutive number of days it has recently been totally whited-out, but it is depressing as hell. Even when you can see patches of blue, as the day wears on, it slowly disappears and even blocks out the sun almost completely. It looks like some sort of post apocalyptic scene, like after a nuclear holocaust, or something like that. If you're sensitive to your surroundings at all, (some people I talk to seem oblivious to it) you definitely get the feeling that this is not normal, natural, or healthy!
Also, where I live, they love to burn stuff everyday, - brush, trash, plastic bags, tires. You can see smoke from these fires everywhere, So I'm sure that does not help. Plus they like to spray everything with something referred to as "white gas",...which is some sort of pesticide and no fun to breathe. They have special gas powered sprayers strapped onto the back of bongo trucks that drive up and down the streets in every village. Last summer one got in front of me while I was riding my bike. Good Times!
I don't think the govt websites have the most accurate information about weather/pollution conditions. It's just not in their best interest for people to know the truth if it creates liability for them or big business.
I hope this thread continues so we can learn more about this situation.

[Old fat expat]

There is no sky.

Someone stole it. The North blames the Americans. The U.S. eyes China with suspicion.

[Nismo]

It's pollution. The unpolluted parts of Korea tend to have wonderfully deep blue skies, especially in the autumn. Seoul's air is crap. It's like there's yellow dust here every day.