Anchor: Much of the fine dust found in Korea is suspected to come from China, a suspicion which has been continually denied by Beijing. However, local researchers have found evidence that particles from firecrackers used during Chinese New Year’s celebrations have reached the Korean Peninsula.
Our Park Jong-hong has this report.

Report: Every year in January, China is plagued by smog caused by fire crackers.

Popular during Chinese New Year’s, the widespread use of firecrackers has been blamed for serious air pollution.

In fact, figures show that the level of ultrafine dust over the skies of Beijing on January 28th last year, or Chinese New Year’s Day, was 25 times higher than the standard set by the World Health Organization.

It hardly seemed like coincidence then, when the ultrafine dust density over Korea jumped two-fold compared to the average in just two days after the Chinese New Year celebrations in 2017. 

A group of researchers at KRISS, or the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, have discovered concrete evidence linking the ultrafine dust from China to the Korean Peninsula.

Head of the research team, Jung Jin-sang, said analysis showed that the level of potassium ions jumped seven fold in South Korea at the end of January last year, following Chinese New Year's celebrations.
 
[Sound bite: Jung Jin-sang, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (Korean)]
"South Koreans don't use fireworks in the New Year but in China, people continually use fireworks for 15 days from New Year's Day. So we were aware of the potassium emissions from the north and we conducted much research thinking that we can trace the pollutants if we follow the potassium."  

The researchers found that the polluted air stream came directly to the Korean Peninsula from China’s capital region and northeastern areas.

While a number of experts suspect that China is responsible for up to 50 percent of Korea’s fine dust problem, Beijing has rejected such claims saying there is no direct evidence.

KRISS researchers hope their findings will be used in bilateral efforts between Seoul and Beijing to reduce fine dust in the broader region of Northeast Asia.

The findings will be listed in the international science journal, "Atmospheric Environment." 
Park Jong-hong, KBS World Radio News.