(CNN) South Korea will shut down up to a quarter of its coal-fired generators for three months this winter in an effort to curb air pollution.

The country's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Thursday that between eight and 15 generators will close from December 1 to February 29, with the remainder operating at a maximum 80% capacity.

There are 13 coal plants in South Korea, according to the Korea Power Exchange, and there can be multiple generators within one plant

It will be the first time South Korea has closed coal-fired generators during winter -- when demand for electricity is at its highest -- and the ministry said the move would reduce fine dust emissions by 44% from last year.

Dirty air is a serious problem in South Korea. In March, the government declared air pollution a "social disaster" and passed a set of bills to tackle the issue after seven cities experienced record-high concentrations of harmful PM 2.5 particles, according to Reuters.