Air pollution threatens the health of 1.8 million people across 16 districts in Kangwŏn-do. The average PM2.5 level is 17.3 µg/m³—3.5× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Kangwŏn-do faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.8 million across 16 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 17.3µg/m³. That's 3.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 287 cigarettes in a year.
If Kangwŏn-do met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.21 years longer.
That's 2.1M years of life stolen from 1.8 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 10 most polluted districts in Kangwŏn-do. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³—only populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.
Complete air quality data for every district in Kangwŏn-do, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wŏnsan | 636K | 19.1 | 1.4 years |
| P'yŏnggang | 110K | 14.3 | 0.9 years |
| Kosan | 110K | 16.7 | 1.1 years |
| Munchŏn | 107K | 19.0 | 1.4 years |
| Anbyŏn | 102K | 18.3 | 1.3 years |
| T'ongch'ŏn | 100K | 16.4 | 1.1 years |
| Ch'ŏnnae | 93K | 18.9 | 1.4 years |
| Sep'o | 74K | 15.1 | 1.0 years |
| Ichŏn | 65K | 15.3 | 1.0 years |
| Ch'ŏrwŏn | 64K | 16.2 | 1.1 years |
| Kimhwa | 63K | 13.8 | 0.9 years |
| Hoeyang | 62K | 14.7 | 0.9 years |
| Kosŏng | 60K | 15.2 | 1.0 years |
| Ch'angdo | 56K | 14.8 | 1.0 years |
| P'an'gyo | 45K | 15.1 | 1.0 years |
| Pŏptong | 29K | 15.0 | 1.0 years |
Showing 16 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.