SmogRank / World / Asia / South Korea / Gyeongsangbuk-do

Most polluted cities in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea

17 measured cities, this year; 17 above the WHO annual guideline. Worst: Yeongju at 18.4 µg/m³, #405 in the world.

Ranked by unhealthy days: the share of each city's measured days with a daily mean over 35.4 µg/m³ (US AQI 101+), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse on the US EPA's scale. Ties go to the higher average.

Busan: 2 measured citiesGyeonggi-do: 26 measured citiesGyeongsangbuk-do: 17 measured citiesDaegu: 2 measured citiesJeollanam-do: 15 measured citiesChungcheongnam-do: 14 measured citiesGyeongsangnam-do: 12 measured citiesUlsan: 1 measured cityGangwon-do: 15 measured citiesJeollabuk-do: 13 measured citiesNorth Chungcheong: 7 measured cities#16 Gyeongju: 12.7 µg/m³#15 Cheongsong gun: 13.3 µg/m³#14 Kunwi: 13.9 µg/m³#13 Mungyeong: 14.0 µg/m³#12 Yecheon: 14.9 µg/m³#10 Yeonil: 15.3 µg/m³#11 Gyeongsan-si: 15.3 µg/m³#8 Gimcheon: 15.8 µg/m³#9 Andong: 15.8 µg/m³#7 Eisen: 16.0 µg/m³#5 Pohang: 16.6 µg/m³#6 Hayang: 16.6 µg/m³#4 Gumi: 16.8 µg/m³#3 Waegwan: 17.2 µg/m³#1 Yeongju: 18.4 µg/m³#2 Sangju: 18.4 µg/m³
Each dot is a measured city, coloured by its PM2.5; tap a dot to open the city.

Not on this map: #17 Dodong-ri 11.2.

← Yeongju 10% 9%0
Every measured city in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, one column each, ranked by unhealthy days: height is the share of its measured days that were unhealthy, colour its average. Point at it to read a city; tap to open it.
  1. 1Yeongju 10%
  2. 2Sangju 9%
  3. 3Gimcheon 7%
  4. 4Yeonil 7%
  5. 5Gumi 7%
  6. 6Hayang 7%
  7. 7Pohang 6%
  8. 8Waegwan 6%
  9. 9Gyeongsan-si 6%
  10. 10Andong 6%
  11. 11Kunwi 6%
  12. 12Eisen 6%
  13. 13Mungyeong 6%
  14. 14Yecheon 5%
  15. 15Cheongsong gun 5%
  16. 16Gyeongju 3%
  17. 17Dodong-ri 1%
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

The US EPA's Air Quality Index for PM2.5 (2024 breakpoints). Show values as: µg/m³ · US AQI · India AQI · China AQI · European AQI · UK DAQI · Canada AQHI+. About the scales

Estimated: cities without a monitor

Gyeongsangbuk-do cities we can't measure, with model estimates for the last 7 days. Listed by population, not ranked: estimates aren't precise enough to rank. Model estimates from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), adjusted to measured cities nearby where there are any. Adjusted, a single day lands within ×1.5 of what a monitor would read about two times in three; unadjusted, it can be off by half or double. Treat them as a guide, not a measurement.

City7-day estimateBand
Heunghae≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Jenzan≈ 8 µg/m³Good

Bad-air episodes in Gyeongsangbuk-do

Times when many cities around here had PM2.5 at twice their usual or more on the same days.

Use this board

SmogRank, most polluted cities in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, PM2.5, this year to 6 Oct 2026, 23:00 UTC, smogrank.com/kr/region/gyeongsangbuk-do?w=year.

Download top 10 (PNG)

You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms. Raw monitor readings in bulk are published by OpenAQ, under each provider's licence.

Updated 2026-10-06 23:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors, as the US AQI PM2.5 sub-index.