○ Third seasonal PM control period results in ultrafine dust (PM2.5) concentration of 27 μg/m3, down 7% from second control period (29 μg/m3, December 2020 to March 2021)
○ Reduction of grade 5 emission vehicles by approximately 23% and non-DPF vehicles by 61%
○ Gyeonggi Province-registered vehicles accounted for 22,277 violations (6,606 vehicles; 50.6%) out of a total of 44,010 violations (13,153 vehicles)

Gyeonggi Province implemented its third seasonal particulate matter (PM) control period from December 2021 to March 2022 as part of its regulation of grade 5 emission vehicles. As a result, the ultrafine dust concentration was reduced by 7% compared to the second control period that ran from December 2020 to March 2021.

On April 14, Gyeonggi Province announced that it saw 44,010 violations (13,153 vehicles) in relation to grade 5 emission vehicle restrictions during the third seasonal PM control period.

Among these, 22,277 violations (6,606 vehicles) were by Gyeonggi-registered vehicles, accounting for 50.6% of the total number of violating vehicles. Vehicles registered in the Korean capital region accounted for 58% (Gyeonggi: 22,277 cases; Seoul: 2,226 cases; Incheon: 1,219 cases), while 18,288 cases involved vehicles registered in jurisdictions outside of the Korean capital region, including South Chungcheong Province (5,431 cases), North Jeolla Province (1,618 cases), and North Chungcheong Province (1,606 cases).

The control period ran for 82 days excluding weekends and holidays. A daily average of 537 violations were reported, marking a significant decrease compared to a daily average of 843 violations during the first week of the program in December.

Furthermore, the ultrafine dust (PM2.5) concentration was 27 μg/m3, a 7% decrease (2 μg/m3) compared to the second control period that ran from December 2020 to March 2021.

Gyeonggi Province believes that the 23% reduction in the operation of grade 5 emission vehicles (2,367,161 cases→1,816,922 cases) and the 61% reduction of vehicles without diesel particulate filters (DPF) (142,594 vehicles→55,234 vehicles) between the second and third control periods affected the changes in PM concentration levels.

Gyeonggi Province plans to impose administrative fines for all vehicle violations, excluding temporarily suspended vehicles. Among temporarily suspended vehicles, those registered outside of the Korea capital region will be fined by the end of September this year. Those that incur violations due to delayed delivery of a new vehicle will be subject to further inspection for DPF installation (or early scrapping), which are required until a new vehicle is delivered. Failure to undertake installation is subject to an administrative fine.

Park Dae-geun, Director of Gyeonggi Province’s Fine Dust Countermeasure Division, said, “We ask that people install a diesel particulate filter as soon as possible, as vehicle restrictions for the fourth seasonal PM control period (December 2022 to March 2023) will be enforced without exception.”

Applications for low-emission measures, including DPF installation and early scrapping, can be made online (mecar.or.kr). More information on subsidies for purchasing new vehicles can be obtained from the environmental division of the city/county in which one’s vehicle is registered.