FINE DUST MEASURES

[Anchor Lead]

As part of the efforts to fight severe dust pollution in the nation, the government of Seoul City has banned grade-five emissions vehicles from entering certain areas in downtown Seoul. Also, starting from December, an alternative no-driving system will be in effect for four months at public agencies regardless of dust concentration levels.

[Pkg]

​Myeongdong in downtown Seoul is always crowded with people and vehicles. Starting in July, grade-five emissions vehicles will be banned from entering Myeongdong and other areas in central Seoul that have been designated as green transportation zones. They include eight neighborhoods in Jongno-gu District and seven areas in Jung-gu District. The government of Seoul City plans to enforce the ban only at designated hours to allow for minimal traffic flow. It's the first measure to restrict traffic in certain areas on a regular basis.

[Soundbite] KO HONG-SEOK(SEOUL CITY GOVERNMENT) : "We discussed the measures multiple times because they will be the first in the nation and may cause inconvenience to our citizens. We concluded that it would be better to impose restrictions during designated hours only."

At the end of the year, authorities will also introduce seasonal measures to fight dust pollution. Starting in December, an alternative no-drive system will go into effect at public agencies for four months and crackdowns will be conducted on old diesel cars regardless of dust concentration levels.

[Soundbite] PARK WON-SOON(SEOUL MAYOR) : "We will prepare in advance, because it's better to overdo it than to wait till it's too late."

The Seoul City government will earmark additional funding of 290 billion won to double the amount of subsidies for the scrapping of old diesel vehicles as a way to fight severe smog in the city.