Air pollution in korea and japan??

Question

just curious, but every once in awhile i would see a clip of Seoul south korea or japan and some people wear like those medical face mask to cover their mouth and nose. is it because of air pollution in south korea and japan or its just cuz they have a cold or something??

Answer 1

During yellow dust season, it is common for people to wear masks. Yellow dust is a very metallic dust that blows over from the deserts in China. It is getting worse each year and can make you very ill.

Yellow dust season runs from late Feb-early June.

The pollution, especially in Seoul can be very bad as well.  

Answer 2

usually its because they don't want to spread their sickness to other people. that's why japan is the healthies population in the world. if you go there, you still see old people and they look quite healthy. that includes the food they eat! :D

Answer 3

You mean the Darth Vader masks?

From my understanding, Koreans wear them because of the yellow dust coming from China(desert area). However, some ajummas(middle-aged women) wear them to protect their skins from the sunlight.

Answer 4

Air pollution in Korea and Japan is much much better than it was before (Countries from all over the world are stationing their athletes in Korea and Japan for the Beijing Olympics). People wear those medical face mask to cover their mouths and nose for two reasons: to block out dust from the yellow dust that blows from Northeastern China (which, if inhaled, can have respiratory problems, possibly even death), and, if they have a cold, to not spread it around.  

Answer 5

In Korea and Japan the medical face masks are worn when one has a cold.

Answer 6

My grandma used to wear that when she had a cold.

As you can see it's very disrespectful when people cough in public to us.

Answer 7

Yes, there is air pollution in Korean and Japan but the gas masks are for a different reason. In Korea and Japan people wear the masks because they have a cold and do not wish to spread it around. The mask helps to contain it by not releasing the germs into the air where people can catch it

Hope I helped <3

Answer 8

It's not uncommon for people in Korea to wear a surgical mask in public when they have a cold.

Answer 9

and we use masks not to catch a cold.