Gyeonggi Province is beginning to see the fruits of its comprehensive fine particles reduction measures that have been implemented since 2017.

On January 6, Gyeonggi Province announced improvements in the air quality of the region. Indeed, the annual average concentration level of PM10 (fine particles) decreased by 13.7%, from 51 ㎍/㎥ in 2017 to 44 ㎍/㎥ (provisional) during the last year, and the annual average concentration level of PM2.5 (ultrafine particles) also dropped by 7.4%, from 27 ㎍/㎥ in 2017 to 25 ㎍/㎥ (provisional) last year.

Simultaneously, the number of days with ultrafine particles concentration levels at “good” levels sharply increased from 87 days in 2017 to 126 days last year, while the number of days with levels of concentration at “poor” levels or worse (meaning the daily fine particles’ concentration level exceeds 35 μg/㎥) decreased from 88 days in 2017 to 74 days last year.

The improvement in the air quality in the Gyeonggi area is attributed to Gyeonggi Province’s “Comprehensive Fine Particles Reduction Measures” that have been implemented since 2017.

Last year, Gyeonggi Province strenthened its regulations on local dust-emitting business sites, and examined the fine particles emission status of 5,594 sites. Executive action was taken concerning the violations of relevant criteria that were found in at 549 business sites.

The number of business site violations revealeds caught through the inspection rose by more than 30% compared to last year’s inspection carried out in at 4,281 business sites, which found regulation violations in at 337 sites.

In addition, Gyeonggi Province introduced 3,200 electric cars and 5,700 electric vehicle chargers last year to build an “environmentally-friendly automobile infrasructure.”

As a result, 5,700 electric cars, an increase of 30% compared to last year, are currently operating in the region and the number of EV chargers hasve been expanded to 8,300.

Gyeonggi Province is also carrying out a pollution mitigation measures on for 47,000 old diesel vehicles and 726 old construction machines, which are known to produce 9.5 times more fine particles than ordinary diesel vehicles, in order to reduce fine particles in the transportation sector.

Of particular note, Gyeonggi Province established a its Fine Dust Countermeasure Division in October last year, the nation’s first municipal organization body dedicated to fine particles reduction. It is also focusing on fine particles reduction through internal reorganization: the Industrial Complex Environment Management Office, which has five teams and 30 employees, was restructured into the Metropolitan Environment Management Office, consisting of 9 teams and 50 employees.

Gyeonggi Province plans to expand its “environmentally-friendly car infrastructure” and create “a new Gyeonggi Province favorable to eco-friendly vehicles” by supplying another 4,200 EvVs, 2,000 EV chargers, 200 hydrogen cars, and 3 hydrogen filling stations.

In addition, to protect the health of residents from fine particles, the province plans to: ▲provide free indoor air quality measurement consultationsing to 9,000 facilities used by the vulnerable population segments; ▲ offer air purifiers to 21,000 facilities used by the vulnerable population segments such as daycare centers;, and ▲ carry out a test operationpilot project on for IoT-based indoor air quality measurements so as to improve the indoor air quality of facitilities in the region.

An official of Gyeonggi Provice said, “Given the recent trend in the reduction of ultrafine particles concentration levels, it seems that the Comprehensive Fine Particles Reduction Measures that Gyeonggi Province began implementing in 2017 seem tohave gradually proved themselves effective in terms of air quality improvement. The province will concentrate all of its administrative power in creating a new Gyeonggi Province where in which residents can live without worrying about fine particles thanks tothrough the successful implementation of the Second Comprehensive Fine Particles Reduction Measures that were established last year.”

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province plans to implement 49 projects in six fields by investing KRW 1.7 trillion in total by 2022 to reduce resident anxiety in relation to fine particles and push forwardto propel the Second Comprehensive Fine Particles Reduction Measures that aim at to lowering the average fine particles concentration levels by 33% compared to 2017 (27 ㎍/㎥ in 2017 to 18 ㎍/㎥ in 2022).