Korean Expat Community for National Disasters

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Hello everyone!

For today's community post, I would like to talk about my experience of dealing with Yellow Dust here in South Korea. In the Philippines, we rarely get notices about dust and pollution, with the exception of the eruption of the Taal Volcano, located approximately 100 kilometers from Metro Manila. Taal Volcano erupted in January 12, 2020, which led to the shortage of face masks in the region. This has also coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and I distinctly remember people scrambling to find suppliers of face masks to protect themselves from inhaling volcanic ash. 

The so called "Yellow Dust" in South Korea are brought on by northwesterly winds that transport dust and other pollutants from Mongolia and China. Due to the public warnings that I received in my smartphone, I was made aware of the dangers of the inhalation of fine dust. I have purchased an air purifier and air humidifier for my home to protect myself whenever I am at home, but I realized that even with these implements, I still experienced discomfort from having very dry eyes and itchy throat. Whenever I go outside, I make sure to wear facemasks to protect myself from inhaling these particles. It is therefore necessary to be aware of such threats to our health by keeping ourselves abreast with updates from local news outlets and following the precautions provided through various sources.

Keep safe, everyone!

Photo from: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230323000218