'Bad' levels of fine dust nationwide, expected to fade beginning Saturday

중국발 스모그 한반도에 갇혀... 미세먼지 연일 '나쁨' Probably wasn't the easiest for many to see or even breathe through the thick layer of haze today here in Korea. A high level of fine dust has been accumulating over the Korean peninsula since yesterday, mostly due to heavy smog flowing in from China,... and it's likely to stay until tomorrow. Hwang Ho-jun reports. Instead of clear blue skies, Seoul woke up to a thick layer of smog smothering the city skyline. The haze is mostly due to the heavy smog flowing in from China,... raising the fine dust alert level to "bad." According to the Korea Environment Corporation, the concentration of fine particulate matter, or P-M two-point-five, was at 101 micrograms per cubic meter,... more than double the annual average recorded by the environment ministry. A band of stagnant air above the Korean Peninsula is trapping the influx of pollutants from China, which combine with ultrafine particles from Korea, affecting air quality. Fine dust, which can be come from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes, can have harmful effects on the human body, resulting in respiratory, cardiovascular and ophthalmic diseases. The fine dust is expected to fade beginning Saturday afternoon. Until then, the environment ministry advises people to refrain from doing outdoor activities or to wear a mask. Hwang Hojun, Arirang News. Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages Facebook(NEWS):   / newsarirang   Homepage: http://www.arirang.com Facebook:   / arirangtv   Twitter:   / arirangworld   Instagram:   / arirangworld