KT is launching a mobile application that tracks fine dust levels over the Korean Peninsula, where worsening air quality in recent years has become a national emergency.

The app, called Air Map Korea, allows users to access a real-time big data analysis of fine dust concentrations for a particular region, the South Korean telecom firm said Monday. 

Other features include instant updates on dust warnings and daily activity recommendations based on dust levels -- such as whether it’s advisable to hang up laundry, do outdoor exercises or wash the car. Upcoming services include recommendations for routes through areas with safer air quality.

KT’s data from January revealed that fine dust levels on a given day differ starkly from one district to another, even within Seoul, and can change rapidly in a given hour with the difference amounting to 87 micrograms per cubic meter in some cases.

The country’s leading broadband service provider has set up around 2,000 monitoring stations nationwide and plans to install 500 additional stations and 7,000 mobile sensors to enable a denser and more precise network of fine dust detection.

An official at KT said the company intends to tackle air pollution in cooperation with environmental organizations at home and overseas. The Air Map Korea project began in September 2017.

By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)