[Photo] South Korea blanketed by severe fine dust pollution

Over the weekend and into the beginning of the week, South Korea has been affected by severe fine dust (PM 2.5) pollution. The pollution has affected the northern part of the country in particular, including Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi Province, and Gangwon Province. The photo shows buildings in the Songdo area of Incheon, which completely disappeared in a fog of pollution in under an hour.

Citizens have expressed concern over the high levels of pollution, which has become a more persistent issue in recent years. On the Blue House website, there were petitions calling on the government to take measures to deal with the pollution, including ordering the closure of schools and providing funds to buy masks. On Mar. 25, the government sent out a public notice via SNS messaging service asking commuters whose license plates began with an even number to refrain from driving to work.