As this year’s worst-ever dust storm from China blanketed the country, a large of number of Koreans canceled or cut short their weekend plans, choosing to stay indoors, as advised by authorities.

At some popular festivals, however, it was just business as usual, with food stalls in open air and all outdoor programs for visitors to enjoy. 

Fine dust warnings and advisories were issued for most parts of the country over the weekend, with Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, reporting the highest PM-10 level of 650 micrograms per cubic meter. That was 12-times higher than the World Health Organization-set limit.

PM-10 is a category of particulate matter measuring 10 micrograms in diameter or less.

“Over the last few days of this Golden holiday, I did not do any outdoor activities except when I visited an indoor aquarium with my girlfriend,” Kang Il-ho, 30, told The Korea Herald.

“Even during the five-minute walk to my car parked outside yesterday, I could vividly see dust settling on my smartphone screen. I felt threatened when I imaged that those ultrafine particles would go into my nose and throat,” Kang said.

Kang was one of many Koreans who chose to stay home for the long weekend.

With poor air conditions apparently keeping many indoors, major highways were relatively empty in the morning hours, the Korea Expressway Corp said.

“I have returned home earlier than planned from a short family trip in Gangwon Province, after checking the dust level there,” said a mother of two daughters.

“Since the sky looked clean and clear, I think many of people might have not known that the worst fine dust of the year was coming unless the government issued a warning,” she said.

Despite the sandy, chemical-laden wind from China, a number of outdoor festivals took place over the weekend as scheduled.

When the Korea Herald visited the 29th Yeoju Ceramic Festival on Saturday, one of the most visited festivals in Gyeonggi Province with 10 million visitors annually, food trucks parked outside were crowded with visitors.

While most of them were wearing face masks and sunglasses and wore long-sleeved clothes, the outdoor picnic area were not enclosed nor covered with a canopy.

Saturday was when the National Institute of Environmental Research has issued fine dust warnings and advisories in 12 cities nationwide, including Seoul and Gyeonggi region.
 
“I know people have to sell food at the festivals, but I think the organizer should control the operation of those food stalls for health control when the fine dust warnings are issued,” said Min In-young, 79-year-old senior who visited the festival with granddaughters.

“We were going to eat outside today, but I decided to buy ingredients and cook at home for my granddaughter,” she said, covering her nose and mouth with a face mask.

The festival organizer said there were no special health or sanitary guidelines for food vendors to cope with fine dust.

“I think those who sell the food know best about the sanitary condition of their food. They must put food inside sealed containers,” an official at the tourism information center told The Korea Herald.

Some festivals handed out facemasks for free.

“Just looking at bright weather and sunny skies, many of the visitors forgot to bring their facemask. So we handed out masks for free,” said an official from the Seoul Anitown Festival.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the dust storm affecting the peninsula will start to diminish on Monday with less wind after rain.

The KMA said dust particles are expected to remain on the peninsula for the next few days, due to the northwesterly wind from China.

Health authorities encouraged citizens to wear face masks when going out, take showers after coming back from outside and use air purifiers to keep indoor air clean.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)