Seoul - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
The air quality is poor during winter and spring. GSO provides three air purifiers, but you may want to bring additional ones if you suffer from asthma. - Mar 2022
Pretty bad. It's seasonal but the air is rarely what you'd call "good." - Nov 2021
See above. It is not good. It is seasonal in general (winter and spring), but bad air is just part of living here. It isn't quite china, but it is closer to China-quality air than Japan air. - Feb 2020
Unfortuately the air quality is affected by the yellow dust that comes over from China. In the spring the air can be hazy and very bad for your health. Keep a smog app on your phone and pay attention. A lot of people wear face masks but if you just stay inside on the worst days you should be fine. Thankfully the yellow dust season isn't that long. - Feb 2016
Adequate. There are times when toxic dust blows in from the Gobi Desert, but as long as you pay attention to the alerts, you can minimize the impact. Otherwise, general big city air quality. - Feb 2016
Generally not bad, but during the Spring season yellow dust can be problematic. - Jul 2015
Generally okay except for the yellow dust in the spring and when the pollution from China comes in. - Feb 2015
Air is OK with some really bad days when winds bring pollution over from China. Some seasons, it seems like every day is red (dangerous for outdoor activities), but other times it's barely noticeable. There are lots of trees and parks to help mitigate the haze. - Jan 2014
It's dirty and the smell of burnt sweet diesel mixed with gasoline is one of the characteristic scents of Seoul. - Sep 2013
Generally moderate to unhealthy in Seoul. - Jan 2011
Air is ok, not much polution. - Dec 2010
