An Empirical Study on Air Pollution in Korea’s Geographical Characteristics
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Seo Young Soo 
Published: June 2018

This study is to compare characteristics about air pollution of each area by separating whole country into several parts. To this, the local factors with principal component analysis and cluster analysis through tied clusters to check detailed characteristics, and to implement regression analysis between the five pollution factors and CAI. In addition, if air quality differences between the community exists in some aspects were identified, and city and province each region to compare about pollution and to carried out a test of independence after atmospheric levels of Classification and frequency.
An Empirical analysis derived following implications. First, belonging to the second groups, nearby Metropolitan Area include Gwangmyeong-si, Guri-si, Gyeonggi-do, is an area of strong ozone pollution due to strong sunlight which is spontaneous cause of the ozone layer. Also, the West Coast along the Jeju Island can be shown as visibly contaminated areas by carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. On the other hand, the south coast and East Sea coast do not show significant pollutants under the baseline, but the Busan and Ulsan, in particularly, can be noticed that polluted by micro dust and sulfur dioxide, since lathe exhaust is main source of micro dust. Also the area is concentrated by Onsan Corp. including many factories in Ulsan, this sulfur dioxide pollution is often regarded as a natural phenomenon. In addition, group 5 which is an outside metropolitan areas with a similar air pollutants surround the Gyeonggi-area. Second, nitrogen dioxide and micro dust selected as the variables that affect CAI. After results of analysis from CAI the atmosphere of Chungbuk, Gyeonggi-do can be easily identified that is not good and the degree of air pollution by region is different statistically significantly. Third, by group looking, in group 1 and group 4 certain pollutants does not exist but the overall atmosphere level is good, so this shows the pollution level is at low in the first place. Group 3 does not seem specific substance of the pollution but the relatively high air pollution suggests that appropriately high carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone conceal the feature in main ingredient coordinate. Because of Group 2 effected by ozone which is specific pollutant of main ingredient coordinate, and also group 7 effected by micro dust, sulfur dioxide, the CAI can be estimated as high.
On the other hand, as a result of this study, the suggestions are as follows. First, on July 1, 2016, when environmental liability law is in full implementation, companies that can cause pollution get increased possibility of liability for damages at risk. Accordingly, since the mandatory joining into the facility’s risks, as well as other facilities with the environmental liability, the demand for risk management through insurance will continue to rise. In this case, the insurance policy development will be in progress in variable way, and this study data can be used to make decision related to product development. Second, based on the results of this study, policy institute have to investigate specifically about air quality level which is not harmful to health by region. In that context various policies for reducing air pollution are recently announced mainly by the Ministry of Environment but it should be with possible detail plan, powerful regulations and punishment. Above all, the ongoing systematic cooperation system which remove the contaminants pro-actively by close cooperation between the government and local government and constant education system are needed. Ultimately, to reduce air pollution levels first, actually analysis the atmosphere of our area and fully understand in which group we included, and thus should take measures to reduce the actually effective contaminants.