If you've been watching our news bulletins for the past few days you'll know that title means it's top ten stories of the year time.
Let's start with the weather we experienced in South Korea in 2018.
The summer was unbearably hot,... one of the hottest on record with the mercury topping 40 degrees Celsius in some areas.
Fine dust continued to dominate the headlines as well... and sadly,... a solution to the public health crisis remains out of reach.
Yoon Jung-min reports.
"The heat this summer was stressful... and almost unbearable."

"I don't normally use the air conditioner a lot, but this summer I used it more than usual."

"It's not often we go out without face masks on these days because of the severe fine dust."

"The fine dust in Seoul is really bad. The first thing, I think, is to try and find a way to get rid of it."

Unexpected weather like the heatwave this past summer... and the fine dust in the air... causes people stress and even threatens their health.

In August, Hongcheon in Gangwon-do Province, saw temperatures reach 41 degrees Celsius, while the capital Seoul got up to nearly 40 degrees.
People suffered heat-related illness, dozens died, and the prices of fruit and vegetables shot up.

"There were six regions that saw temperatures soar to 40. This is noteworthy because, meteorologically, summers that get above 40 degrees happen in a tropical climate. This could be a sign that Korea's summer climate is turning tropical."

The problem in winter was fine dust pollution. People had to refrain from outdoor activities, and an increasing number of people suffered respiratory illnesses.

"The fine dust level had gone down until 2012, but it started to rebound recently due mainly to China's rapid industrialization. It's also because of cars and coal heating."

The Korean government has stepped up to combat the fine dust.
Next year, when levels get really bad, nearly 2-point-7 million cars will be banned from the roads.
The government's also going to get rid of incentives for so-called "clean" diesel cars,... and it will work with neighboring countries such as China.

People are hoping that in the new year the air will be cleaner and the summer heat less extreme.
Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.