Is the air in Busan safe today?

Not for sensitive groups. Right now the US AQI in Busan is 126, which counts as unhealthy for sensitive groups. Kids, older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions should limit long outdoor exertion.

When is the best time to be outside in Busan?

Sat 13:00–16:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 56. The worst hour is around Sat 02:00, at 126.

What is the main pollutant in Busan?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 46 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Busan's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.9 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 29 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is also forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of Busan's air?

About 1.3 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 29 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Busan improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 62, against 126 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Busan air quality

South Korea · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Sat 02:00 local time

126

Unhealthy for sensitive groups

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Kids, older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions should limit long outdoor exertion.

Next 24 hours: 55–126US AQI, highest around Sat 02:00
Best time outside: Sat 13:00–16:00US AQI about 56
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.9×29 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 1.3 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Busan. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Busan right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	46 µg/m³	Sensitive	1.9×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	50 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	42 µg/m³	Good	1.9×
Ozone O₃	17 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	34 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Carbon monoxide CO	626 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Aerosol optical depth	0.14	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	1 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 126 around Sat 02:00, lowest 53 around Mon 01:00.

50100

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Busan

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 150.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Sat 14 Nov	55–126	Sensitive	2:00	30	2 Low
Sun 15 Nov	54–93	Moderate	0:00	15	2 Low
Mon 16 Nov	53–71	Moderate	16:00	14	2 Low
Tue 17 Nov	48–62	Moderate	23:00	12	2 Low

Common questions about the air in Busan

Is the air in Busan safe today?
Not for sensitive groups. Right now the US AQI in Busan is 126, which counts as unhealthy for sensitive groups. Kids, older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions should limit long outdoor exertion.
When is the best time to be outside in Busan?
Sat 13:00–16:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 56. The worst hour is around Sat 02:00, at 126.
What is the main pollutant in Busan?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 46 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Busan's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.9 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 29 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is also forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Busan's air?
About 1.3 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 29 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Busan improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 62, against 126 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Busan

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
연산동 OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 23 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00 PM₁₀: 30 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 NO₂: 42 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 O₃: 42 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 SO₂: 9.4 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 CO: 412 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00	0.6 km	77	Moderate
전포동 OpenAQ, reference monitor PM₁₀: 33 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 NO₂: 38 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 O₃: 52 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 SO₂: 10 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 CO: 905 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00	2.9 km	31	Good
온천동 OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 16 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 PM₁₀: 42 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 NO₂: 77 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 O₃: 9.2 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 SO₂: 9.4 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 CO: 538 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00	3.1 km	64	Moderate

Air quality near Busan

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Taipei (66); worst: Beijing (283). The tick on each bar is Busan, at 126.

Seoul 325 km NW 158 Unhealthy
Osaka 588 km E 143 Sensitive
Shanghai 832 km SW 152 Unhealthy
Tokyo 959 km E 153 Unhealthy
Beijing 1,233 km NW 283 Very unhealthy
Taipei 1,339 km SW 66 Moderate

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 35.18°N, 129.08°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.