SmogRank / Episodes / South Korea

South Korea, December 2024

For 1 day, on 26 December 2024, 13 cities in South Korea had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea: 36.2 µg/m³ on 26 December, about 2.0× its usual 18.1.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached13in 1 country
Days126 December 2024
Worst day26 December13 cities counted
Furthest above usual2.3×Mungyeong

Day by day

26 December 13 cities at twice their usual or more
KoesanJungpyongCheongju-siChinch'ŏnChungjuOkcheonSejongDaejeonSangjuYeongdongAnseongCheonanYeojuPubalSeonghwanKinzanIcheon-siGongjuWŏnjuPyeongtaekYecheonAsanOsanNonsanYangp'yŏngGumiYŏnmuGwangjuNeietsuYesanYeongjuBuyeoSuwonKunwiWaegwanHanamAndongHongch’ŏnWabuNamsaWanjuHwadoHwaseong-siJeonjuNamyangjuHongseongGuri-siIksanGapyeongChuncheonImsilHwawŏnDaeguKimjeUijeongbu-siGunsanIncheonSeosanTaesal-liGoyang-siYangjuGyeongsan-siNangenHayangT’aebaekCheongsong gunJeongeupGimpo-siChangnyeongBuanEisenHwacheonYangguMunsanKuryeChinjuDamyangMiryangCheorwonDonghae CityJumunjinSantyokuGanghwa-gunHadongKoch'angNaesŏJangseongGyeongjuYeonilKwangyangSokchoGwangjuChangwonGwangyangPohangSuncheonHwasunMasanGoseongKosongKimhaeYeonggwangYangsanBeolgyoUngsangYeosuNajuUlsanTongyeongSinhyeonBoseongBusanGijangGeojeMuanYeongamJangheungMokpoHaenamSinanNagatoHagiMasudaHamadaGōtsuchōŌdachō-ōdaYaeIzumoHiroshimaGionHigashihiroshimaChangsuGangneungGimcheonSeoulGwangmyeongSeongnam-siAnsan-siBoryeongAnyang-siJinan-gunBucheon-siTangjinMungyeong
23 Dec242526272829
Every measured city in the area, coloured by its PM2.5 that day; a dark ring marks a city at twice its usual or more. Bars: cities counted each day, coloured by their median level. Choose a day or press play; without JavaScript, the days link to that day's world ranking.

How it spread

GimcheonGimcheon, 23 December: 16.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usualGimcheon, 24 December: 19.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usualGimcheon, 25 December: 22.0 µg/m³, 1.2× usualGimcheon, 26 December: 36.2 µg/m³, 2.0× usualGimcheon, 27 December: 18.4 µg/m³, 1.0× usualGimcheon, 28 December: 19.2 µg/m³, 1.1× usualGimcheon, 29 December: 18.3 µg/m³, 1.0× usualBucheon-siBucheon-si, 23 December: 15.6 µg/m³, 1.0× usualBucheon-si, 24 December: 17.0 µg/m³, 1.1× usualBucheon-si, 25 December: 22.1 µg/m³, 1.4× usualBucheon-si, 26 December: 34.5 µg/m³, 2.2× usualBucheon-si, 27 December: 12.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usualBucheon-si, 28 December: 12.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usualBucheon-si, 29 December: 14.3 µg/m³, 0.9× usualTangjinTangjin, 23 December: 15.6 µg/m³, 1.0× usualTangjin, 24 December: 16.2 µg/m³, 1.0× usualTangjin, 25 December: 22.2 µg/m³, 1.4× usualTangjin, 26 December: 34.4 µg/m³, 2.2× usualTangjin, 27 December: 12.8 µg/m³, 0.8× usualTangjin, 28 December: 13.5 µg/m³, 0.9× usualTangjin, 29 December: 15.1 µg/m³, 1.0× usualGwangmyeongGwangmyeong, 23 December: 16.5 µg/m³, 1.0× usualGwangmyeong, 24 December: 18.5 µg/m³, 1.1× usualGwangmyeong, 25 December: 18.3 µg/m³, 1.1× usualGwangmyeong, 26 December: 33.4 µg/m³, 2.1× usualGwangmyeong, 27 December: 12.5 µg/m³, 0.8× usualGwangmyeong, 28 December: 13.7 µg/m³, 0.9× usualGwangmyeong, 29 December: 13.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usualAnyang-siAnyang-si, 23 December: 15.2 µg/m³, 1.0× usualAnyang-si, 24 December: 15.9 µg/m³, 1.1× usualAnyang-si, 25 December: 18.0 µg/m³, 1.2× usualAnyang-si, 26 December: 32.4 µg/m³, 2.2× usualAnyang-si, 27 December: 11.4 µg/m³, 0.8× usualAnyang-si, 28 December: 11.7 µg/m³, 0.8× usualAnyang-si, 29 December: 13.6 µg/m³, 0.9× usualBoryeongBoryeong, 23 December: 14.8 µg/m³, 1.0× usualBoryeong, 24 December: 15.8 µg/m³, 1.0× usualBoryeong, 25 December: 15.7 µg/m³, 1.0× usualBoryeong, 26 December: 32.1 µg/m³, 2.1× usualBoryeong, 27 December: 12.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usualBoryeong, 28 December: 13.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usualBoryeong, 29 December: 13.7 µg/m³, 0.9× usualSeoulSeoul, 23 December: 16.6 µg/m³, 1.0× usualSeoul, 24 December: 18.5 µg/m³, 1.2× usualSeoul, 25 December: 21.4 µg/m³, 1.3× usualSeoul, 26 December: 32.1 µg/m³, 2.0× usualSeoul, 27 December: 13.3 µg/m³, 0.8× usualSeoul, 28 December: 13.3 µg/m³, 0.8× usualSeoul, 29 December: 14.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usualAnsan-siAnsan-si, 23 December: 17.0 µg/m³, 1.2× usualAnsan-si, 24 December: 16.9 µg/m³, 1.1× usualAnsan-si, 25 December: 20.2 µg/m³, 1.4× usualAnsan-si, 26 December: 30.9 µg/m³, 2.1× usualAnsan-si, 27 December: 11.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usualAnsan-si, 28 December: 10.4 µg/m³, 0.7× usualAnsan-si, 29 December: 14.9 µg/m³, 1.0× usualSeongnam-siSeongnam-si, 23 December: 13.6 µg/m³, 1.0× usualSeongnam-si, 24 December: 17.2 µg/m³, 1.2× usualSeongnam-si, 25 December: 17.7 µg/m³, 1.2× usualSeongnam-si, 26 December: 29.8 µg/m³, 2.1× usualSeongnam-si, 27 December: 10.5 µg/m³, 0.7× usualSeongnam-si, 28 December: 10.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usualSeongnam-si, 29 December: 12.8 µg/m³, 0.9× usualMungyeongMungyeong, 23 December: 11.3 µg/m³, 0.9× usualMungyeong, 24 December: 13.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usualMungyeong, 25 December: 23.3 µg/m³, 1.8× usualMungyeong, 26 December: 29.3 µg/m³, 2.3× usualMungyeong, 27 December: 10.8 µg/m³, 0.8× usualMungyeong, 28 December: 12.4 µg/m³, 1.0× usualMungyeong, 29 December: 10.7 µg/m³, 0.8× usualChangsuChangsu, 23 December: 17.7 µg/m³, 1.3× usualChangsu, 24 December: 18.3 µg/m³, 1.3× usualChangsu, 25 December: 16.7 µg/m³, 1.2× usualChangsu, 26 December: 27.2 µg/m³, 2.0× usualChangsu, 27 December: 9.8 µg/m³, 0.7× usualChangsu, 28 December: 12.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usualChangsu, 29 December: 14.1 µg/m³, 1.0× usualGangneungGangneung, 23 December: 11.4 µg/m³, 0.9× usualGangneung, 24 December: 14.6 µg/m³, 1.1× usualGangneung, 25 December: 16.9 µg/m³, 1.3× usualGangneung, 26 December: 26.7 µg/m³, 2.0× usualGangneung, 27 December: 11.2 µg/m³, 0.8× usualGangneung, 28 December: 12.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usualGangneung, 29 December: 11.4 µg/m³, 0.9× usualJinan-gunJinan-gun, 23 December: 10.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usualJinan-gun, 24 December: 13.5 µg/m³, 1.2× usualJinan-gun, 25 December: 14.5 µg/m³, 1.3× usualJinan-gun, 26 December: 25.2 µg/m³, 2.2× usualJinan-gun, 27 December: 11.4 µg/m³, 1.0× usualJinan-gun, 28 December: 12.2 µg/m³, 1.1× usualJinan-gun, 29 December: 10.8 µg/m³, 0.9× usual23 Dec242526272829
Every counted city, in the order the episode reached them, 3 days before to 3 after. Each square is a day, coloured by that day's PM2.5; outlined: at twice the city's usual or more.
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

Every city it reached

CityDaysHighestUsualAbove usual
MungyeongGyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea1 29.326 December13.02.3×
TangjinChungcheongnam-do, South Korea1 34.426 December15.62.2×
Jinan-gunJeollabuk-do, South Korea1 25.226 December11.52.2×
Bucheon-siGyeonggi-do, South Korea1 34.526 December15.92.2×
Anyang-siGyeonggi-do, South Korea1 32.426 December15.02.2×
Ansan-siGyeonggi-do, South Korea1 30.926 December14.72.1×
Seongnam-siGyeonggi-do, South Korea1 29.826 December14.22.1×
GwangmyeongGyeonggi-do, South Korea1 33.426 December16.12.1×
BoryeongChungcheongnam-do, South Korea1 32.126 December15.52.1×
GangneungGangwon-do, South Korea1 26.726 December13.22.0×
SeoulSeoul, South Korea1 32.126 December16.02.0×
GimcheonGyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea1 36.226 December18.12.0×
ChangsuJeollabuk-do, South Korea1 27.226 December13.62.0×

Daily means in µg/m³. Usual: the city's median for this time of year (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that.

Against other episodes in South Korea

Number 56 of 63 episodes in South Korea since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 63.

Use this page

SmogRank, South Korea, December 2024: 13 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 26 December 2024, smogrank.com/episodes/2024-12-south-korea-2 (accessed 3 October 2026).

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You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms.

An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes. Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.