Korean Job Discussion Forums

[3DR]

[Zyzyfer]

[Died By Bear]

Korea Sparkling!

[World Traveler]

http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=158282

Thick, toxic smog has blanketed large parts of central Korea and the capital Seoul over the last few days.
Responding to criticism the country's smog forecast system is not up to standards, Environment Minister Yoon Seong-kyu says Korea will jointly develop a new forecast model with Beijing to better prepare citizens for fine-dust waves that are headed to Korea.
The ministry says China has far superior technology than Korea and Japan in terms of atmospheric forecasting.

[3DR]

Well air quality is back to being good again today...even in Beijing. Guess the winds changed.

[Weigookin74]

Why is it so bad here even in Korea? Is it humidity in the air here that traps it in? There's always a lot of humidity here year round with the odd dry periods in fall and winter.

[World Traveler]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2014/02/195_152391.html

[andrewchon]

[World Traveler]

Here, the result is an immediate increase in people suffering from respiratory ailments. But what is worse is the fact that nobody knows what the long-term effects will be.

During this week, Seoul and Gyeonggi Province were hit the hardest.

On Wednesday, Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) issued its third consecutive warning of a heightened atmospheric concentration of fine particles.

The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) said the atmospheric concentration of particulate matter measuring 10 micrometers (PM10) was between 121 to 200 micrograms per cubic meter, the second-most dangerous level in its five-level air pollution scale.

“PM10 is accumulated directly in the lung and excessive exposure can cause severe distress characterized by difficulties in breathing or seizures,” said Prof. Rhee Chin-kook of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.

According to the pulmonologist, inhaling fine particles causes bronchial problems even for people in good health.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2014/02/116_152330.html

Doctors stressed that people should refrain from doing outdoor activities when PM warnings are issued. Rhee said wearing special masks designed to prevent the inhalation of fine particles is necessary, adding that most surgical-style masks were ineffective.

Meanwhile, the SMG announced a set of plans to tackle air pollution. It will impose a driving ban on all official vehicles for ordinary administration when an ultrafine particle warning continues for over 48 hours, with the exception of ambulances and road repair vehicles.

“We believe a warning on two consecutive days means the situation is as serious as a disaster,” said Jang Hyug-jae, chief of the Climate and Environment Headquarters at the SMG.

[World Traveler]

Korea is getting slammed by unprecedented air pollution from China, which includes more hazardous fine particles. Since the Korea Meteorological Administration on Tuesday issued a serious low-visibility warning at Gimpo International Airport, 53 flights have been canceled. And at Incheon Airport to the west, 18 international flights were unable to land due to dismal visibility.

Despite such terrible air pollution, the National Institute of Environmental Research’s forecasts of fine particles have repeatedly fallen short. The accuracy rate of its forecasts stands at just 33.3 percent since last August, when it began forecasting fine-particle pollution measures.

[World Traveler]

Air pollution in parts of China is now so extreme it could lead to conditions similar to a “nuclear winter,” scientists say. The smog that covers the country has become so thick it is impeding photosynthesis, potentially disrupting China’s food supply.

China’s pollution problem is reaching crisis point, with acrid smog covering six southern provinces for the past week. Over the last few days a total of 19 cities have recorded levels of pollution drastically exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safety levels.

Beijing’s concentration of micro-particles small enough to enter into people’s lungs and trigger serious health issues reached 505 micrograms per cubic meter Tuesday. The WHO’s safe level is 25 micrograms per meter.

The toxic smog is having severe consequences, with aircraft being grounded across the country because of poor visibility, roads closing and a significant reduction in tourist numbers. An associate professor at China Agricultural University, He Dongxian, told the South China Morning Post that if these conditions continued, China will experience something akin to a “nuclear winter.”

Furthermore, she said an experiment in Beijing in recent months had shown a significant slowdown in photosynthesis (the process by which plants turn light into chemical energy). According to He Dongxian’s tests, chili and tomato seeds that usually take 20 days to sprout could take over two months to grow into seedlings.

"They will be lucky to live at all. Now almost every farm is caught in a smog panic," He Dongxian said, adding that the poor seedling quality would have a severe effect on agricultural output this year.

Beijing authorities have come under fire from environmental organizations this week for failing to activate a red alert – which requires schools to close to minimize the impact of the smog on the public.

http://rt.com/news/chinese-smog-nuclear-winter-008/

[schwa]

A human catastrophe on an unprecedented scale unfolding in front of us in slow motion?

[World Traveler]

China invades Japan's skies with their dangerous pollution
http://kotaku.com/chinas-pollution-is-making-japanese-air-all-crappy-1531371641/1532270971/+jesusdiaz

[Stan Rogers]

Nice neighbors they have there.

[Mr. Pink]

The thing that really should get you banging your head against the wall is this has been happening for almost 20 years. When I was in Korea I'd get ticked that internationally nothing is being done. Being in China for 5 years the irony was discovered that a lot of those factories are owned by Koreans.

Anyways, air was like 3 weeks of toxic crap...Korea gets a few days out of that. Crap but not like living in the soup full time!