On the morning of February 22, 2026, Daegu Metropolitan City officials stood before reporters to announce a sweeping new initiative aimed at tackling one of the region’s most persistent environmental challenges: air pollution from aging vehicles. With a total budget of 6.6 billion KRW, the city’s 2026 vehicle emission reduction project is set to roll out in earnest, targeting not just the most polluting cars and trucks, but also construction machinery and even school buses. This bold step is part of a nationwide movement, as just days earlier, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment revealed an even broader plan—the 'Our Neighborhood Clean Air Comprehensive Support' project—set to invest 12 billion KRW across 18 sites throughout South Korea.
Daegu’s campaign is ambitious in scale and scope. According to the city’s official statement, the project will focus on a total of 2,769 vehicles this year. That includes the early retirement of 2,565 older vehicles, the installation of diesel particulate filters (DPFs) on 92 others, low-emission conversions for 96 pieces of construction machinery, and the conversion of 16 children’s school buses to LPG fuel. The city’s approach is both carrot and stick: owners of the most polluting vehicles—those classified as 5th grade emission—are being given a final opportunity for financial support to scrap their cars, as this particular subsidy will end after 2026. Applications for support will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis from March 4 to May 29, 2026, for both 5th grade vehicles and construction equipment.
But Daegu isn’t stopping there. Vehicles classified as 4th grade emission will also be eligible for support, with applications open from March 4 to March 13, 2026. Here, the city is prioritizing the oldest vehicles, school buses, and those owned by low-income residents and small business owners. Notably, the subsidy rate for 4th grade vehicles under 3.5 tons has been increased from 50% to 70%, with an extra 30% available for those who choose to purchase eco-friendly vehicles. Meanwhile, for 5th grade vehicles, the second subsidy has been abolished, leaving only the initial early retirement support. The message is clear: the city wants to accelerate the phase-out of the dirtiest vehicles from its streets.
The results of Daegu’s combined emission reduction and vehicle restriction policies over the past six years have been striking. Since 2019, the number of non-compliant 5th grade vehicles has plummeted from 100,000 to just 20,000—a staggering 80% decrease. Air quality improvements have followed suit. According to city data, the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has dropped by 32%, from 22 µg/m³ to 15 µg/m³, and the number of days rated ‘good’ for air quality has soared from 122 to 214 days annually. These are not just abstract statistics; for Daegu’s residents, it means clearer skies, healthier lungs, and a better quality of life.
Kim Jung-seop, Director of the Environmental Water Resources Bureau, underscored the urgency and importance of public participation. “With support for early retirement of 5th grade emission vehicles ending this year, I hope citizens won’t miss this opportunity,” Kim said. “This is a crucial policy to protect our clean and clear air, and I urge everyone to actively participate.”
While Daegu’s approach is focused on vehicles, the national government is casting an even wider net. On February 19, 2026, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced the selection of 18 sites for its 2026 'Our Neighborhood Clean Air Comprehensive Support' project, backed by a hefty 12 billion KRW from the national budget. This initiative marks a significant expansion from previous years. Where once only the most heavily polluted areas received support, the new program now includes regions plagued by frequent complaints—think asphalt plants, lime and plaster manufacturers, and other small-scale air pollutant emitters situated near residential neighborhoods.
The list of selected sites reads like a map of South Korea’s industrial heartlands: Seobu San Smart Valley in Busan, Seongseo Industrial Complex and Dalseong 1st Industrial Complex in Daegu, Hanam Industrial Complex in Gwangju, Daejeon Industrial Complex, Goyeon Industrial Area in Ulsan, and Banwol-Sihwa National Industrial Complex and Cheongsan Daejeon Industrial Complex in Gyeonggi Province, among others. The project is designed to provide full-cycle support, from pre-technical consultation to the installation of advanced air pollution prevention facilities and IoT-based monitoring devices, followed by thorough post-monitoring. The aim is to ease the economic burden on small businesses while delivering tangible air quality improvements that residents can truly notice.
What does this look like in practice? The ministry, working alongside local governments, will conduct odor surveys and deploy cutting-edge monitoring equipment to carry out detailed air quality investigations. For industrial sites flagged as pollution hotspots, technical diagnostics and improvement plans will be drawn up in partnership with regional environmental support centers. Old pollution prevention facilities will be replaced, and IoT-based continuous monitoring systems will be established to ensure that improvements are not just made, but maintained. The ministry also plans to systematically analyze air quality before and after interventions to measure policy effectiveness.
The effectiveness of this approach isn’t just theoretical. The ministry points to the results of a similar program in Incheon between 2019 and 2024: air pollutant emissions at supported small businesses fell by 57.7%, and concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 in the surrounding air dropped by 21% to 23%. These figures, the ministry says, are clear proof that helping small businesses upgrade their pollution control equipment can have a direct and measurable impact on local air quality.
Kim Jin-sik, Director of the Air Environment Bureau at the ministry, highlighted the importance of expanding the management scope. “We will expand our management from industrial complexes to individual small businesses near residential areas so that residents can feel changes in their daily lives,” Kim said. “We will reinforce systematic support for businesses and share transparent monitoring results with the community to create sustainable air policies that bring together residents and companies.”
As South Korea’s cities and neighborhoods grapple with the challenges of industrialization and urban growth, these new policies represent a shift toward more inclusive, targeted, and accountable environmental management. Whether it’s Daegu’s push to get the oldest, dirtiest vehicles off the road, or the national government’s effort to clean up small business emissions, the message is the same: clean air is a collective responsibility—and one that requires action from every corner of society.
With the combined efforts of local and national authorities, and the active participation of citizens and businesses alike, the path to cleaner air in South Korea looks clearer than it has in years.