Hey! Taesung here.
Did you know? Korea is ridiculously hot in the summer and ridiculously cold in the winter.
When I first experienced winter in Venice, I thought, “That’s it? This is winter?” I was walking around in a t-shirt while everyone else was in puffers. That’s how different Korean winter is.
I once lived in a rooftop apartment in Seoul. You know what happens when you wake up in the winter? The toilet is frozen. You have to break the ice in the toilet bowl before you can take a piss. Now you get how cold it is, right? lol.
One of my guesthouse guests went to Korea in the winter thinking it wouldn’t be that cold and almost froze to death.
So if you’re heading to Korea, prepare for battle. And for the rest of you keyboard warriors at home, take note, because Koreans use these items all the time. Got it?
1. The Long Padded Coat: The Korean Winter Uniform
You might think you know what a puffer jacket is. You’re wrong.
I never saw anyone other than me wearing a long padded coat in Venice. To them, I must have looked like a ‘walking sleeping bag.’ lol.
But in Korea? The entire nation wears black long padded coats in the winter. Why? Because we have to survive.
My tip for choosing one: forget cute. Go for clean, simple, and no fur on the hood. That shit is itchy as hell.
2. The Hot Pack: A Personal Sun in Your Pocket
I served in the Korean military. In the winter, without this, we would have died. Fact.
What’s weird is, I never saw anyone carrying a hot pack in Venice; they don’t even sell them. That’s why I had to introduce this. Look at Korean girls in the winter. They’re all holding something tightly with both hands. That’s a hot pack. It lasts forever and gets incredibly warm.
So I searched on Amazon and… I was shocked. They’re selling the exact same type I used in the military. lol. Use this. The fact that I’m still alive is proof that this thing is awesome.
3. HEATTECH: The Secret Armor for Style
Sorry for talking about the military so much today, but without this, we would have all frozen to death.
The key to good thermal underwear is that the label must be printed, not sewn on. A tag is scratchy as hell. It’s underwear, it’s not like you’re showing it to anyone, right? I found one without a tag.
4. The Personal Humidifier: An Oasis in the Dryness
Venice is humid as hell. Turning on a humidifier there means you’ve decided to grow seaweed in your house.
But Korean winter is brutally dry. Add indoor heating to that, and you’ll wake up with a throat that feels like it’s been ripped apart.
That’s why Koreans use humidifiers. Not a huge one for the whole room, but a personal one that keeps your face hydrated. You’ll be under the covers anyway; your face is all that matters.
5. The Electric MAT: The Final Boss of K-Winter
This is not an electric ‘blanket.’ It’s an electric ‘MAT’ or ‘PAD’ that goes under your bedsheets. This is extremely important.
In the old days, Koreans slept on the floor (Ondol), which was heated from below. Now we have beds, but we’re still a people who need our backs to be warm to sleep. Thus, the electric mat conquered the nation.
A blanket covers you, and the electric wires make it heavy and suffocating. But a mat heats your back while the air outside the covers is still cool. What’s it like? It feels like you’re in an open-air hot tub. That’s the huge difference. Experience for yourself why Koreans are crazy for this devil’s item.
So there you have it, the five essential pieces of K-Winter survival gear.
This isn’t just about ‘staying warm.’ This is practically the combat equipment Koreans use to get through their harsh winter training.
With these five items, you’ll be able to stand in the middle of a -15°C (-5°F) Seoul day and laugh, thinking, “Yeah, this is survivable.”
Trust me on this one. Prepare in advance. Because a Seoul winter is merciless to the unprepared. lol.
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