page_title: Environment of South Korea
section_title: Air pollution
hierarchical_section_title: Environment of South Korea / Environmental issues / Air pollution
caption_attribution_description: English: 2015 PM2.5 Air Pollution Index in Seoul (hourly average data) wide version&#160;&#160; Very Unhealthy &#160;&#160; Unhealthy &#160;&#160; Unhealthy for sensitive groups &#160;&#160; Moderate &#160;&#160; Good
context_page_description: The environment of South Korea is the natural environment of the South Korean nation, which occupies the southern half of the Korean peninsula. Environment - current issues: air pollution in large cities; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; acid rain; drift net fishing.
  Forests were cleared over many centuries for use as firewood and as building materials. However, they have rebounded since the 1970s as a result of intensive reforestation efforts. The country's few remaining old-growth forests are protected in nature reserves. South Korea also has twenty national parks. One of the world's most interesting wildlife sanctuaries has developed in the DMZ, having been virtually untouched since 1953. The uninhabited zone has become a haven for many kinds of wildlife, particularly migrating birds.
context_section_description: According to the Environmental Performance Index 2016, South Korea ranked 173rd out of 180 countries in terms of air quality. More than 50 percent of the population of South Korea is exposed to dangerous levels of fine dust.
  In March 2019, after record-high concentrations of PM 2.5 particles were observed, exposing residents to respiratory and cardiovascular illness, the South Korean government passed emergency legislation in an attempt to reduce the ongoing pollution.
caption: South Korea near bottom of world survey of air quality   Very Unhealthy     Unhealthy     Unhealthy for sensitive groups      Moderate   Good
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