Haze Set to Blanket Korea Again as Fine Dust Returns

Korea is expected to be blanketed by fine dust again after a lull during the summer.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Research, hazy skies are expected to linger in Seoul, Incheon and nearby metropolitan areas until early this week, as fine dust sweeps into the Korean Peninsula, reaching its peak level on Tuesday.

The earlier-than-expected return of the toxic haze is attributed to high-density fine dust carried by westerly winds from China amid stagnant atmospheric conditions over the Korean Peninsula.

Dust kicked up by storms in southern Mongolia and northern China has blown into Korea, along with the high concentration of ultrafine dust particles created by Chinese farmers burning crop residues in their harvest season.