How Koreans Overcome the cold during Winter season
Hi Guys, today I want to share to you how koreans and those who live in south korea survive or overcoming the cold temperature during winter season in South Korea.
Especially in the beginning of 2021, Seoul and surrounding areas temperature drop even to -20 C degree. So how do Koreans cope with the cold winters?
Let’s check out some things that Koreans have and do to overcome the cold temperature during winter seasons.
1. Electric floor Heating and Heating Mat
Electric floor heating mats are hugely popular in South Korea, known as 온돌 (ondol) that operated by gas, especially in newer building.
If you worried about the electrical cost, then you need to be careful not to keep it turn on during the entire winter. Anyway, there are settings on the panel to ensure that. The settings are in korean, but you can ask the home owner or your korean friends to help you set it, once you set it up, you will be able to enjoy winter without dying of the cold temperature.
However, if your house doesn’t have floor heating installed then you can buy an electric heating mat and place it where you want.
2. Heat Tech Thermal Clothing
Heating technology clothing has been famous for years, and local Korean brands has created legging and under layers that come with thermal effects. But as we all know that this heat tech clothes will not be able to keep us warm during the winter, however this one is our only best choice of clothing when it comes to fight the cold temperature.
3. Electric blankets
Electric blanket are the other options for those who wants to being warm without paying extra expenses on electricity. The most popular electric blanket out there are underblankets, which you put between mattress and bed sheet. As the electric blanket can get really hot, you can just turn it off.
This electric blanket is another option for those who don’t like the electric floor mat, as It is light and easy to move, you can put it on your sofa or your bed.
The bad things about this electric blankets is that electric blankets usually come in one size, and we need to pay attention to the temperature and how long you keep it on to avoid getting burn.
4. hot packs
You can find hot packs at Olive Young or daiso and similar place. The way the hot packs work is that you simply stick it on a part of your body, and it will automatically keeping you warm for a few hours.
This one is use when we want to go out, as it is really simple, small and easy to use. Enough to keep us warm during the cold temperature outside and whenever we felt it’s too hot, we can just take it out.
5. Long Padded Coats
Long padded coats is already trends in korea and whole world to fight against cold temperature during winter seasons. Many people you see on the streets in Korean will wear one of these coats in the winter.
The higher the price, the warmer you become, as their quality is always depends on their pricing. Korean winters are dry and cold, but the wind cause them really freezing. Long padding coats are great since they cover most of your skin from being exposed to the wind directly, so it helps you fight the freezing winds.
The long padded coats are really comfortable but as you know, the higher the price, the warmer it gets. So, it ends up become competition among korean as it became status symbols or each person more than just its function.
6. Hot Drinks and Hot Food
I put it here just to remind you that you can always drinks something hot and eat something hot to keep you warm during the winter season, just in case you forget it. One of the great things to do is to eat Korean Spicy Ramyeon, not just because it’s delicious, but also easy to make and good to warm up our body. If you want to know more about Korean Ramyeon taste and tips, check it here.
7. Jjimjilbang
A jjimjilbang is a large, sex-segregated public bathhouse in South Korea, furnished with hot tubs, showers, Korean traditional kiln saunas and massage tables.
Jjimjilbang are absolutely everywhere and usually offer several saunas and hot pools to choose from. You will be washed up, fresh, relax, while totally forget the temperature outside.
Alternatively, Korea has also made the best of their swimming pool, to keep it warm during the winter seasons, both indoor and outdoors. It’s gonna feels like hot spring outdoors.
8. Window Bubble Wrap
Window bubble wrap methods is an old method that koreans use for usually older building that doesn’t have electric mat built up in their house.
As in the old building, the windows aren’t typically built to be thick enough to fight the wind. It makes the cold air easy to get inside our home. To combat this, many Koreans will cover their windows with bubble wrap on all of the inner sides whole winter to keep the winds from entering in through the window.
Anyway, this have side effect too, as it blocks natural light to enter in, and completely sealed and unventilated rooms, are really not good for our health, as each room needs fresh air from the outside.
So it’s your own choice either to use it or not. However, this one is really the simplest and cheapest method to fight the cold wind entering in our room. During the wintertime, these can be found in most stores.
Conclusion:
Each way to fight winter season has it’s own positive and negative effects. Which one you prefer to use during the winter season? Which one you like the most if you want to travel during winter season?
