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In this study, two-step statistical approach including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) was employed, and main meteorological factors explaining the high-PM2.5 episodes were identified in two regions: Seoul and Busan. We first performed PCA to isolate the Principal Component (PC) that is linear combination of the meteorological variables observed at two levels: surface and 850 hPa level. The employed variables at surface are: temperature (T2m), wind speed, sea level pressure, south-north and west-east wind component and those at 850 hPa upper level variables are: south-north (v850) and west-east (u850) wind component and vertical stability. Secondly we carried out MLR analysis and verified the relationships between PM2.5 daily mean concentration and meteorological PCs. Our two-step statistical approach revealed that in Seoul, dominant factors for influencing the high PM2.5 days are mainly composed of upper wind characteristics in winter including positive u850 and negative v850, indicating that continental (or Siberian) anticyclone had a strong influence. In Busan, however, the dominant factors in explanaining in high PM2.5 concentrations were associated with high T2m and negative u850 in summer. This is suggesting that marine anticyclone had a considerable effect on Busan’s high PM2.5 with high temperature which is relevant to the vigorous photochemical secondary generation. Our results of both differences and similarities between two regions derived from only statistical approaches imply the high-PM2.5 episodes in Korea show their own unique characteristics and seasonality which are mostly explainable by two layer (surface and upper) mesoscale meteorological variables.