Fine dust advisory to be issued Sunday in greater Seoul, western regions

SEOUL, Feb. 13 (Yonhap) -- A fine dust advisory will be issued for greater Seoul and western regions of South Korea on Sunday, environmental authorities said.

Fine dust concentrations are expected to remain at the highest level of "very bad" in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the country's capital, on Sunday, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research on Saturday, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Environment.

Seoul, Incheon, northern Gyeonggi Province and western provinces will see a "bad" level of fine dust, the second-highest grade in the country's four-tier fine dust measuring system, on Sunday.

The authorities said the fine dust alert will be in place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, limiting the operation of construction sites or chemicals-emitting plants to reduce air pollution.

It is the first fine dust advisory issued in 2021, with the advisory announced when the air quality level remains "bad" or "very bad" for a certain period of time.

The authorities asked people to refrain from having outdoor activities and to wear face masks properly.

brk@yna.co.kr
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