Seoul
2 km around Euljiro 1(il)-ga
Air quality now
AQI 97
20.3%
tree cover
30.3K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Asia · air quality report · 56 cities
South Korea air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 56 cities Airleaf measures in South Korea average AQI 83 (moderate). The worst air is in Pyeongtaek, at AQI 138, and the cleanest in Jeju City, at AQI 53.
At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 83 across 56 cities. 16% of the 56 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups.
Average right now
AQI 83
Moderate
US EPA index, across 56 cities
- cities measured
- 56
- worst air: Pyeongtaek
- 138
- cleanest air: Jeju City
- 53
- average tree cover
- 28.4%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
South Korea · average AQI 83
Air quality right now in the 8 largest cities in South Korea
Moderate
Busan
2 km around Junggu-ro 44beon-gil
Air quality now
AQI 71
19.6%
tree cover
26.3K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Incheon
2 km around South Korea
Air quality now
AQI 84
11.7%
tree cover
57.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Daegu
2 km around Jongno 1(il)-ga
Air quality now
AQI 78
3.6%
tree cover
82.3K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Daejeon
2 km around Dunsannam-ro
Air quality now
AQI 75
13.6%
tree cover
51.3K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Gwangju
2 km around Guseong-ro
Air quality now
AQI 74
6.7%
tree cover
73.1K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Suwon
2 km around Suseong-ro 328beon-gil
Air quality now
AQI 83
19.6%
tree cover
32.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Ulsan
2 km around Dotjil-ro 92beon-gil
Air quality now
AQI 71
17.0%
tree cover
38.9K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across South Korea today?
16% of the 56 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
56 measured cities
- Moderate47 (84%)
- Unhealthy for sensitive groups9 (16%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
In aggregate
South Korea in numbers
Every figure below is read the same way over the same 2 km area per city, so they add up and compare like for like. Averaged across the 56 of 56 cities measured so far in South Korea.
- Average air quality
- AQI 83Mean of the latest reading per city
- Average tree cover
- 28.4%32 of 56 below their target
- Trees counted
- 4.8MAcross every measured area
- More trees needed
- 1.3MTo bring each area to its target
Worst air quality right now
Cleanest air right now
Greenest cities in South Korea
Least tree cover in South Korea
Excludes barren and desert sites
Against everywhere else
How does South Korea compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of South Korea average cleaner air than 13% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 64%.
Cleaner air than…
- South Korea
- Beats 13%
More tree cover than…
- South Korea
- Beats 64%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has South Korea lost?
Since 2001, South Korea has lost about 436,000 hectares of forest (about 4,400 km²): 8.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 67,300 hectares (15%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 436,000 haabout 4,400 km²
- Share of its forest
- 8.2%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 67,300 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1,140 ha | 4,320 ha | 5,470 ha |
| 2002 | 997 ha | 3,680 ha | 4,680 ha |
| 2003 | 954 ha | 2,630 ha | 3,590 ha |
| 2004 | 2,790 ha | 8,560 ha | 11,300 ha |
| 2005 | 2,200 ha | 6,670 ha | 8,870 ha |
| 2006 | 2,830 ha | 7,240 ha | 10,100 ha |
| 2007 | 2,380 ha | 5,650 ha | 8,030 ha |
| 2008 | 4,610 ha | 9,320 ha | 13,900 ha |
| 2009 | 4,000 ha | 12,300 ha | 16,300 ha |
| 2010 | 3,480 ha | 10,900 ha | 14,300 ha |
| 2011 | 2,680 ha | 8,880 ha | 11,600 ha |
| 2012 | 3,800 ha | 12,000 ha | 15,800 ha |
| 2013 | 1,570 ha | 7,850 ha | 9,420 ha |
| 2014 | 2,130 ha | 11,200 ha | 13,400 ha |
| 2015 | 2,330 ha | 14,900 ha | 17,300 ha |
| 2016 | 3,010 ha | 19,400 ha | 22,400 ha |
| 2017 | 2,740 ha | 17,900 ha | 20,600 ha |
| 2018 | 2,660 ha | 19,100 ha | 21,800 ha |
| 2019 | 2,140 ha | 18,500 ha | 20,600 ha |
| 2020 | 2,110 ha | 17,900 ha | 20,100 ha |
| 2021 | 1,950 ha | 15,300 ha | 17,200 ha |
| 2022 | 1,930 ha | 23,700 ha | 25,600 ha |
| 2023 | 2,260 ha | 19,300 ha | 21,500 ha |
| 2024 | 2,000 ha | 13,600 ha | 15,600 ha |
| 2025 | 8,610 ha | 78,400 ha | 87,000 ha |
Forest loss is speeding up: about 33,400 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 21,100 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2025, when about 87,000 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in South Korea?
- Loggingcan grow back70% · 304,000 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good12% · 52,000 ha
- Wildfirescan grow back4.3% · 18,900 ha
Also: mining and energy, farms, pasture and plantations, storms, floods and other natural causes, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Source: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, Global Forest Change (GFC-2025-v1.13); causes: WRI/Google DeepMind drivers of forest loss; both CC BY 4.0, summed by Airleaf for each area. How it's measured
South Korea as a whole
64.4% of South Korea was forested as of 2024, against a 30% benchmark. That already clears the benchmark — the city reports above show where cover is still thin locally. Source: World Bank (FAO).
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Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in South Korea
Picked by tested clean-air delivery rate (CADR), noise and running cost, from independent test labels. No brand pays to be listed.
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NIOSH-approved N95 masks and P100 respirators for smog and smoke, and how to get the fit right. Cloth and surgical masks do little against PM2.5.
Frequently asked
Air quality in South Korea: your questions answered
What is the air quality in South Korea today?
Right now the 56 cities Airleaf measures in South Korea average AQI 83 (moderate). The worst air is in Pyeongtaek, at AQI 138, and the cleanest in Jeju City, at AQI 53. At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 83 across 56 cities. 16% of the 56 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups.
Which city in South Korea has the worst air right now?
Pyeongtaek, at AQI 138 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups) on the US EPA index. Sensitive groups should limit long or intense outdoor activity.
Which city in South Korea has the cleanest air right now?
Jeju City, at AQI 53 (Moderate). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever South Korea has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in South Korea safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 47 cities are Moderate, 9 cities are Unhealthy for sensitive groups. At the national average of AQI 83: Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
How much forest has South Korea lost since 2001?
About 436,000 ha from 2001 to 2025, 8% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 67,300 ha of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
Which city in South Korea has the most trees?
Geoje, with 79.4% tree cover within 2 km of its center, measured from Sentinel-2 satellite images.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in South Korea?
Each city's reading is the US EPA air quality index, from ground monitoring stations where one has reported recently nearby, and from the CAMS atmospheric model elsewhere; each city's report says which. Tree cover is measured over the same 2 km radius in every city, so the cities compare like for like.
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