The purpose of this study is to elucidate the spatio-temporal characteristics of ultrafine dust generation in East Asia and the synoptic climate patterns related to its dispersal which has its adverse effects on public health across East Asia. To achieve this purpose, Level 3 monthly Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data extracted from MODIS satellite imagery (MOD08_M3) representing particle matters less than 2.5 micrometer (PM2.5) and the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis I upper-level climatic data associated with the exacerbation of ultrafine dust problem are analyzed for the recent 20-year (2001-2020) period. Analyses of long-term average MOD08 data show that high AOD value exceeding 0.5 or more frequently occurred in populous cities in East Asia but mainly in the vicinity of densely populated large rivers and the eastern lowlands in China between mid-winter and mid-spring, which is attributable to the accumulation effects of continuous fossil fuel consumption for heating and manufacturing. Despite the overall decreasing trend of ultrafine dust across China in the 2010s, the weakened westerlies in the warmer climate as well as its continuous generation from the densely populated industrial regions of China provide a favorable synoptic climate condition for frequent severe ultrafine dust problems across East Asia including South Korea. These results indicate that ultrafine dust from China is a long-lasting transboundary environmental problem across East Asia, which needs long-term international cooperation in developing the sustainable policies.