Fear in a skyful of dust

Yellow dust storms in China are expected to make their way to Seoul in the coming weeks. (AP)



It starts with an itch in the back of your throat. A few days later, you start coughing. After two weeks, you just can't seem to stop hacking. No amount of mucus in the back of your throat is enough. 

That's how it goes for many of us during yellow dust season, which has recently fallen upon Seoul.

Each spring, yellow dust particles from the Gobi Desert in China blow eastward, making their way into Korea and Japan. According to the Korea Times, "The worst yellow dust storms in decades are expected to blanket" Seoul in the coming weeks. Some yellow dust has already arrived.



The street around the corner from my apartment. The worst yellow dust storms in decades are expected in my neighborhood this week. Once the sky turns yellow, I will post a picture from the same spot for comparison.



Compounding the problem, according to the Times, are radioactive particles leaked from nuclear reactors during Japan's quakes. The radioactive materials circled clockwise, mixed with the yellow dust, and are now on their way to our neighborhood. 

For those who like numbers, "Clouds of yellow dust covered South Korea for nearly 10 days a year on average over the last decade between March and May," According to the Times. "In 2010, the sandstorms lasted for a total of 12.3 days."

It's common to see people in Seoul wearing masks to cover their mouths from pollution or dust. These masks, like the kind a surgeon wears, are available in every convenience store. 


Personally, I prefer to wear a handkerchief like I'm about to rob a stagecoach.


So how bad is this stuff? I'm not sure, but if it only lasts a couple of weeks on average, the pros of living here still outweigh the cons.