Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wanderingsalsero]

Is the air in Seoul noticably any worse than the air in US cities like New York or Houston or LA?

I live in Houston right now and I hear some people complain about the air here (usually newscasters) but it's never bothered me.

Or maybe a better way to ask the question would be, "Is the air in Seoul comparable to any US cities (or English cities) that I might be familiar with?

Thanks,
Art

[rothkowitz]

In summer there's not a lot of wind so it gets pretty smoggy.If you go up Namsan Tower and then look back on the city you'll probably get a shock.

New York has a unique smell of detergent,rotten food and exhaust fumes.London kind of the same.Seoul...hmm..open sewers and deisel,perhaps?If you're in downtown Seoul though,there aren't many places convenient to go to escape it.

Out in the satellite cities-Ilsan,Bundang the air is noticeably better.

Oh yeah,and there's "yellow dust"(황 사) in the Spring-sand and gunk from China.

[brento1138]

When I first moved to Korea I could smell the same smell all big cities have, same as Paris and London's smells. Sort of a petrol-smell, maybe from cars. But for 22 million people, the greater Seoul region isn't terrible outside of Summer. I live just south of Seoul, still connected to the subway line, and the air here is much better than in the city. All you need is a small breeze and as long as the air isn't hanging around, you're OK...

Having lived in Daegu, a city of 2.5 million, I'd say the air there is worse than the air in Seoul. That is because it was stuck in a valley which didn't allow air flow. So it was sort of like breathing in a jar.

[rothkowitz]

I was really surprised that Tokyo didn't have that "big city" smell.Really clean.Just restaurant,beer,and a little bit of car exhaust smells.

The only huge pong I came across was a meeting of homeless in Ueno Park.I could smell them 50 yards off.God,they stunk.

[Xerxes]

You guys like some superhero with a bionic nose or sumpthin?

I don't have any problems in Seoul with having to wear sunblock--not ever, all year round, but my hair is falling out and something south is probably not as active.

Edit: ahem, a crude illustration I edited out on second thought. These late-nighters whack my judgement.

[jdog2050]

[Pak Yu Man]

Probably because Seoul, like every other city in thei country is surrounded by 'mountains'.

It's all about the microclimatology.

[slow_life]