In March, everyone had to wear disposable masks every day to protect themselves from breathing in pollutants. Many Koreans think that they are slowly dying from the effects of air pollution. This leads application developers to create phone apps so people can monitor the air quality as they check the weather. People often live their normal lives going to work or school despite the difficulty in breathing during the months where the dust particles are most dense.
The problem of poor air quality is being solved by raising awareness of how best to protect the environment. Most people tend to wear masks to protect themselves from the fine dust in the air. There is also a phone app that gives daily alerts to check the levels of pollution in the air. This need is also being met by the dedication of the Korean citizens to living sustainably by recycling everything. They do this especially by separating their trash, one box for waste, one box for cans/aluminum and one box for plastic. If you decide to eat in, fast food restaurants will give you plastic reusable cups or mugs for your drink. When you are done with your meal, you must separate the excess liquid from the drink you didn't finish and return the cup for recycling. Although these measures aren't directly connected to the problem of air pollution, they do indicate the effort to which the government here is going to in order to improve the environment. Also, by choosing to recycle rather than to burn used plastic, the authorities are reducing the particulate matter in the air which is causing Koreans to experience physical symptoms and emotional stress.
