--- title: "Posts from Seoul: Singapore’s choking on haze, but hey, thanks for the oxygen, Indonesia" url: "/commentaries/posts-seoul-singapores-choking-haze-hey-thanks-oxygen-indonesia" published: "2026-10-16T11:20:39.000Z" updated: "2026-10-16T12:00:55.000Z" section: "Commentaries" authors: ["Nicholas Yong"] tags: ["haze","Indonesia","Singapore","air pollution","Commentaries","TNP News","Opinion"] --- # Posts from Seoul: Singapore’s choking on haze, but hey, thanks for the oxygen, Indonesia As fall finally arrives in Seoul, the days are both sunny and chilly, while the leaves gradually turn a kaleidoscope of colours. So as I peruse the reports about the haze currently suffocating Singapore and the wider region, and scroll through my friends’ social media posts about air purifiers, masks and sinus issues, I can’t help but think: Heng ah. The South Korean capital is hardly immune to unpleasant conditions, with regular real-time alerts from the authorities about ambient pollution levels. I’ve already experienced the height of summer, with temperatures going into the 40s that made a simple walk to the subway resemble a sauna session. I’m also told that the annual spring phenomenon of 황사, or yellow dust, which blows in from Mongolia and northern China across the Korean peninsula, can be a real problem. But on the whole, we only face the daily threat of nuclear annihilation from the North, as opposed to slowly asphyxiating in what now looks like the latest instalment of the Silent Hill video game series. ![Singapore haze, air pollution, Seoul](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/b1b023d0778f71dcb14eaeaf1f96cbac4a045c97a4bbcd442ae6bbd9fab64ef6) *Hazy conditions in Bishan at 9.45am on Oct 15, 2026.* ## Thanks for the oxygen, bestie The images coming out of our beloved island seem to have been put through an Instagram filter (never knew that “East Coast BBQ that got out of hand after uncle poured kerosene on it” was a thing). As a Singaporean born and bred who has regularly suffered through the haze, I only have to close my eyes to conjure up that all-too-familiar burning smell, and instinctively wrinkle my nose at the memory. My eyes even start watering. Nevertheless, I constantly remind myself to be grateful for the invigorating oxygen that Indonesia supplies throughout the year, notwithstanding the fact that the largest source of oxygen in the atmosphere is actually the ocean. (Thanks for educating me on that, Gemini. Can I send you some fresh oxygen as a gesture of thanks? I got a really good deal from Indonesia.) Our neighbours do seem to have a fixation with the fresh air that their vast swathes of tropical rainforest so magnanimously generate. Back in 2015, the Jakarta Globe reported that former Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla also made a similar claim. “For 11 months, they enjoyed nice air from Indonesia and they never thanked us. They have suffered because of the haze for one month and they get upset.” Jakarta has belatedly said it will accept foreign assistance, including offers from Singapore and Malaysia — presumably made through gritted teeth — to fight the forest and peatland wildfires that are driving the haze. Perhaps it has something to do with their own citizens in West Kalimantan suing the government over the unbearable conditions in the province. I’m sure they have it all in hand. After all, it’s always a good sign when a government replaces its disaster relief chief midway through an ongoing crisis, just a day after his brother was arrested over alleged corruption involving emergency relief funds. Right? ![Singapore haze, air pollution, Seoul](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/b6ea6b521f263fd7c035a6da53c6baeabcd85bfc868eed74103a3531b6d3f34a) *The Esplanade (left) was barely visible through the haze in this photo taken on Oct 15, 2026.* ## Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky The “I was there, Gandalf” meme from Lord of the Rings comes to mind because I was there when the term “haze” was popularised in Singapore some three decades ago. It feels both startling and infuriating that little appears to have changed since. Elrond was right: the strength of men has failed. Back then, there was a similar discourse about masks and worries over air quality, though we all still had to go to school. There were also warnings to curb physical activities, alongside the formation of multiple haze task forces across the region. We didn’t quite understand the geopolitical complexity of the issue, and I’m not sure many Singaporeans would really care to right now. Some breathable air and reassurance that a workable solution is at hand would be much preferred, as opposed to laughably implausible comments from a clueless government official who needs to go back to science class. In the meantime, Singapore’s haze task force is back in action, with promises that seven companies will be issued legal notices requesting that they stop the burning on their lands in Indonesia and submit plans to extinguish the fires. The Government has also stepped up measures, such as opening up haze shelters and distributing N95 masks to vulnerable Singaporeans. This comes as air quality continues to deteriorate, with the 24-hour PSI in central Singapore hitting 225 at 7.15pm on Oct 16, well into the very unhealthy range. After nearly three decades of these recurring episodes, one does wonder how many more task forces, emergency meetings and promises of action it will take before the haze finally becomes a thing of the past. ![](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/f6d290f516ab593206863d2edb072988fed933bee5fbf728e0a9eaf0744d98df) *A view of Seoul Forest in late September.* Here in Seoul, the autumn leaves are already turning gold and crimson. I’ll be thinking of you all, fellow Singaporeans. Perhaps you can take a break from it all and join me here for a bit. I’ll even throw in some complimentary oxygen. “Posts from Seoul” is an occasional series by Nicholas Yong, a Singaporean journalist and the author of Seven Sacks of Rice and Other Baggage.