Worst air pollution Gwangju, today and tomorrow

Today (16 July): Air quality in Gwangju is poor. AQI and O3 are poor; PM2.5 and PM1 are fair; NO2 is medium; PM10, SO2, CO, and HCHO are good. Pollution peaks around 2:00 PM (O3: 71.2/100).
Tomorrow (17 July 2026): Air quality in Gwangju is poor. All pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 12:00 PM (O3: 64.8/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.

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Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team

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Gwangju's air quality reflects the Yeongsan River valley's partial enclosure in the Honam Plain, with vehicle traffic on the surrounding expressways and the automotive manufacturing and electronics corridor contributing local sources. Seasonal Chinese dust transport elevates PM10 during spring yellow dust events, while prevailing westerly winds carry Chinese and Northeast Asian industrial pollution across the Yellow Sea and Gwangju generally maintains moderate to elevated South Korean provincial metropolitan readings throughout most of the year.

Today - 16 July | Pollution peaks at 14:00

AQI:

Poor

71.2/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Fair

23.7/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

10.5/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Medium

56.7/100

O3 (ozone):

Poor

71.2/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

9.5/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

11.8/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Fair

25.5/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 17 July | Pollution peaks at 12:00

AQI:

Poor

64.8/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Fair

24.7/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

8.3/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Medium

55.5/100

O3 (ozone):

Poor

64.8/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

8.6/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

9.7/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Fair

28.4/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Gwangju right now?

On 16 July 2026, overall air quality in Gwangju is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 71.2/100. Pollution peaks around 2:00 PM (O3: 71.2/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Gwangju?

On 17 July 2026, air quality conditions in Gwangju will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at poor at 64.8/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 PM (O3: 64.8/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Gwangju?

Air quality in Gwangju tends to be worse when traffic on the surrounding roads, manufacturing activity, along with shipbuilding and port operations build up and dry, windy weather picks up. These wind events can carry dust in from the surrounding arid landscape. This is most noticeable during spring and autumn wind events.

Are air quality levels in Gwangju based on measurements or forecasts?

It is forecasts derived by downscaling forecasts provided by EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) by taking into account local conditions such as traffic patterns. CAMS bases its forecast on satellite measurements of particles and chemical compounds in the atmosphere. Airmine’s services were developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team.

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Data provided by Airmine — Last update: 16 July 2026 at 10:33 CEST (Data is updated four times daily.)

This forecast is produced independently using Airmine's own atmospheric data and models.

Unless explicitly made clear, the content on this site has not been paid for by external organisations and is Airmine's sole responsibility.

For long term forecasts and maps, see the Airmine app