Seoul PM2.5 right now: 16 µg/m³ — Moderate. Tomorrow’s forecast for Seoul: Good. Readings for all 17 regions from the national AirKorea network, with the official grade and the worst station in each. Good = no mask needed; Unhealthy = locals put on KF94 masks and skip long outdoor plans.
Live now
By region — 2026-09-23 14:00
| Region | PM2.5 (µg/m³) | PM10 (µg/m³) | Worst station (PM2.5) | Measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 16 Moderate | 31 Moderate | 중구 (23) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Busan | 7 Good | 17 Good | 온천동 (17) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Daegu | 7 Good | 16 Good | 평리동 (10) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Incheon | 17 Moderate | 34 Moderate | 검단 (22) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Gwangju | — — | — — | — | |
| Daejeon | 8 Good | 19 Good | 성남동1 (20) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Ulsan | 5 Good | 13 Good | 삼남읍 (12) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Gyeonggi | 13 Good | 31 Moderate | 성남대로(모란역) (32) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Gangwon | 10 Good | 24 Good | 철원(DMZ) (23) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Chungbuk | 8 Good | 20 Good | 괴산읍 (18) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Chungnam | 13 Good | 27 Good | 대천2동 (21) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Jeonbuk | 16 Moderate | 30 Good | 소룡동 (28) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Jeonnam | — — | — — | — | |
| Gyeongbuk | 7 Good | 17 Good | 영덕읍 (19) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Gyeongnam | 7 Good | 18 Good | 하동항 (15) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Jeju | 6 Good | 25 Good | 애월읍 (8) | 09-23 14:00 |
| Sejong | 9 Good | 17 Good | 아름동 (26) | 09-23 14:00 |
Tomorrow’s forecast (2026-09-24)
| Region | Forecast for 2026-09-24 |
|---|---|
| Seoul | Good |
| Jeju | Good |
| Jeonnam | Good |
| Jeonbuk | Good |
| Gwangju | Good |
| Gyeongnam | Good |
| Gyeongbuk | Good |
| Ulsan | Good |
| Daegu | Good |
| Busan | Good |
| Chungnam | Good |
| Chungbuk | Good |
| Sejong | Good |
| Daejeon | Good |
| 영동 | Good |
| 영서 | Good |
| 경기남부 | Good |
| 경기북부 | Good |
| Incheon | Good |
Issued 2026-09-23 11시 발표 by the National Institute of Environmental Research.
What the grades mean for your day
| PM2.5 | Grade | What locals do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–15 | Good | Nothing special — a clear day for Namsan or the Han River. |
| 16–35 | Moderate | Normal for a city; people with asthma keep a mask handy. |
| 36–75 | Unhealthy | KF80/KF94 masks come out; long runs and hikes get postponed; museums and malls instead. |
| 76+ | Very unhealthy | Alerts go out by text message; stay indoors where you can, mask outdoors. |
See also
- exosome PDRN hydrogel mask: launched Sep 17 — buy or wait?
- biodance bio-collagen mask overnight: 19,000 KRW, wear 3+ hours
- Dr.Jart+ Soothing Hydra Solution Pro mask, 5 sheets for ₩30,000 — what a weekly reset costs
- Andong Mask Dance Festival 2026: Sept 24–Oct 4, plus Hahoe Village plan
FAQ
Do I need a mask in Korea today?
Seoul’s PM2.5 is 16 µg/m³ right now (Moderate). Korean guidance: below 35 is fine for everyone; 36–75 ("Unhealthy") is when locals with asthma or small children wear a KF80/KF94 mask outdoors and long outdoor exercise is cut back; above 75 most people mask up. KF94 masks are sold in every convenience store and pharmacy.
When is the fine-dust season in Korea?
Late winter and spring (roughly January to May) bring the worst days, when westerly winds carry dust from China and Mongolia on top of local emissions; summer rain and autumn winds keep the air clearest. Any single day varies a lot — check the forecast row above the day before.
What do PM2.5 and PM10 mean?
PM2.5 is particulate matter under 2.5 micrometres — the fine dust that reaches deep into the lungs; PM10 is the coarser dust. Korea grades PM2.5 as Good (0–15), Moderate (16–35), Unhealthy (36–75) and Very unhealthy (76+), which is stricter than the WHO daily guideline of 15 but the same bands you’ll see on Korean weather apps.
Which app do Koreans use for air quality?
The government’s AirKorea site and app (airkorea.or.kr) — this page reads the same monitoring network. Naver Weather and the built-in Samsung weather widget also show the AirKorea grade.
Where does the data come from?
AirKorea (Korea Environment Corporation) real-time measurements from about 608 stations nationwide, averaged by region, plus the National Institute of Environmental Research forecast. Values are hourly; the page box refreshes every 10 minutes.
Source: AirKorea real-time air pollution information and fine-dust forecast (data.go.kr) · page rebuilt 2026-09-23.