Canadians offer advice on enduring Korea's winters

People walk through central Seoul's Myeong-dong as heavy snowfall hit the nation, Dec. 15. / Yonhap

By Jon Dunbar

• Published Dec 20, 2022 3:07 PM KST
• Updated Dec 23, 2022 11:48 AM KST

By Jon Dunbar

Most parts of Korea have mild, short winters, at least according to most Canadians here. But that doesn't mean that we don't feel the cold the same as everyone else. We've had a lot of experience with worse weather and know how to cope ― although sometimes we can be surprised living in a country like Korea, which isn't as winterized as our hometowns.

Canadians living in Korea were solicited for their advice on winter living here.

“There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people,” university professor Beau Leveille told The Korea Times, quoting Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. He also recommended, “Take vitamin D to keep the sad away!”

What to wear

The most common advice was to dress in layers. Layers make it easier to avoid overheating, because you can strip off a few items if you're uncomfortable.

“Solid advice passed down for generations in my family ― and others, I'm sure: 'Dress for the weather,' Graham J. Quirk advised. “Dress in layers, remove as needed. Base layer like long underwear or tights. Insulating layers like regular clothing or sweaters. Windbreaker or outer layer like a jacket or overcoat. Don't forget your toque, scarf and mittens or gloves!”

Some Canadians shivered through childhood, when it was considered a sign of weakness at school to zip up one's coat or wear gloves and a hat. Those behaviors can be observed among adults in Korea as well.

“It always blew my mind to hear people complain about being so cold. But then they'd be wearing an unzipped jacket, no scarf, no gloves, no boots. Sometimes you have to forego fashion for utility.” Scott Carter said. “Now that I'm back in Canada I wear my winter boots to the office and change into a pair of shoes which I keep there in the closet.”

“Do up the zipper on the padding,” urged Anthony Kaschor, who's from Brandon, Manitoba, where the temperature currently is minus 22 degrees Celsius at the time of this writing. “Maybe it's not 'cool,' but it's like having a heated house with the door open all the time ―- I can hear my mom yell, 'Stop trying to heat the great outdoors. Close the door!'”

“Gradually adjust yourself to the colder weather,” said Jennine Best from Winnipeg. “I.e., don't put on a long padding coat when it's still 10 degrees Celsius outside...”

“Layering is not only for the top of your body. It applies to the lower half too,” Vasuki Thillainadarajah-Meuret said.

There's a common myth that 40 percent to 45 percent of body heat is lost through the head, but whoever came up with that probably never tested out walking around pantsless in the winter. Headwear of any kind, including caps or hoods, is useful for retaining heat, but if it's really cold, the ears must be covered.

“Always wear proper winter hats, scarves and gloves,” Thillainadarajah-Meuret added.

“Wear a proper toque,” said Jason Teale, also from Brandon.

“Toque is key!” Kaschor added.

Another item of stern recommendation was footwear. Good winter footwear should be insulated, waterproof and have nonslip soles.

“Socks,” Barry Medd said simply.

“How about the minus-15-degrees-Celsius days where the teens are all wearing the same padding but those lovely slippers with no socks,” said Patrick J. Cloutier from Ottawa, Ontario.

“How about not wear Crocs,” SJ Lawson recommended.

“Don't wear dress shoes in snow and ice,” added Kristina Kauss, a Winnipeger currently “enjoying the mild Korean winter weather.”

“Get some good shoes/boots with good grip that can handle ice,” said Jon Powelson, who is from Edmonton, Alberta, where snow piles up over winter until melting all at once sometime in April. “The constant cold to above freezing changes will change any snowfall to ice. Many back streets don't get cleaned and become hazardous streets of ice.”

Walking on ice

Slipping on ice was a major concern among Canadians.

One reason Canadians recommend gloves so much is because it can be extra dangerous to walk with your hands in your pockets in case of a fall.

“A lack of salt makes for some slippery surfaces,” Matthew Owen said. “Running shoes don't really cut it with a bit of snow and ice on the ground.”

“When it ― rarely ― gets icy, remember to do the penguin walk to avoid falling on your butt,” said Lynnea Elsasser from the small Saskatchewan town of Leader, currently facing an extreme cold warning and a temperature of minus 32 degrees.

“Slow down for snow,” Mike Peacock said. “Don't speed up to get through it.”

Watch out for black ice (which is actually clear). Ice on the sidewalk is more slippery than crunchy snow.

Driving in winter

Korea's road conditions can be treacherous on snow days, due to a relative lack of snow removal capability as well as temperatures hovering around freezing, which results in snow melting and then freezing quickly.

Beware that any painted road surfaces, such as white crosswalk stripes or the green floor in many indoor parking lots, become incredibly slick in wet conditions.

“If you drive, invest in winter tires!” said Les Timmermans from Airdrie, Alberta, which has

its own (very active) Facebook group for discussing road conditions

. “If absolutely nothing else, it will extend the lifetime of your summer tires. At best, they will extend your own lifetime. Drive in snow like you've lived in Canada!”

“Or all-season tires,” Kaschor added. “Then you don't have to switch them up twice a year.”

“For the drivers here, winter tires are not the norm,” said Cloutier, who runs the blog daddysimply.com. “It's funny to see all the Benzes, BMWs, Caddies and Jags trying to slip and slide through Gangnam with their rear-wheel-driving cars with no winter tires.”

“I also wish Korea had the snow removal services like we do in Ontario,” Brittaney Marie Walsh said. “In Canada they start to prepare the roads before a big storm by sanding and salting the roads before the storm hits....but in Korea they just send out messages saying it will snow and then people abandon their cars on the sides of the road.”

“Change the way you drive in winter conditions,” advised Tony Wall from St. John's in Newfoundland and Labrador, which faces a rainfall warning currently due to alternating days of rain and snow this week. “I remember studying for my Canadian driver's license and the manual said to count to six when you pass an object for how far away you should be from the car ahead of you.”

“When driving, do not lock your brakes if you start to slip!” Brittany Lenis advised. “Ease off acceleration and make sure to always point the front of your car where you want to go. Slamming on the brakes is how you lose all control of your car.”

Staying warm at work

Almost every Korean office has workers who open the windows, even on the coldest days of winter. Doing this in Canada would likely get you thrown out the window you just opened. Fortunately, the windows here aren't left open for very long.

Apparently this practice is due to lack of internal ventilation, and is no longer necessary in newer buildings. There are also various air purifier appliances that could do away with this need to open windows.

“Embrace the Korean ways...at work wear long padding, blanket on your lap, mini heater under the desk, carry around hot packs (rechargeable or disposable),” Elly V. said. “To be honest, I feel cold waaaay more here, I think largely because in Canada we really build things to keep heat in and heat the shit out of every building, while here things are not as insulated or heated. The only thing super well heated seems to be buses which roast you alive as soon as the first leaf falls.”

Home heating

Just as some Korean office buildings are poorly insulated, with heating not provided in lobbies, stairwells and even sometimes washrooms, Korean housing can also be poorly insulated, with heating not extended to areas including verandas, washrooms and sometimes kitchens. Extra care may be needed to protect any pipes or appliances in these spaces such as laundry machines.

The reason for this is the Korean ondol floor heating system, which is provided only in certain rooms. And while it feels great not stepping on a cold floor when you get out of bed first thing in the morning, it's less effective for heating the air and takes a long while to warm up an entire room.

“I think the difference with Korean winters compared to my Manitoba winters, is that the buildings are not well insulated. So even though it is much colder in Manitoba… temperatures are consistent indoors,” Kaschor, who lives in Seoul, said. “My current home is concrete. Touching the walls is freezing. There is little to no insulation in the walls in most places here. Having heated air vs. a heated floor makes a big difference too. Some may like that 'warm floor' to sit on, but to go about your daily business and only your feet are warm, is just not as pleasant as heated air imho.”

It is possible to buy extra heating devices to keep the home warm, such as space heaters or electric blankets, but Kristina Nisi from Swan Hills, Alberta, where it's currently minus 31 degrees, recommends an electric heated stone. “If you're not super into having a very warm house, keep your ondol on a low temp setting, grab a comforter and your charged heated stone,” she said. “You can also charge it and put it in your bed an hour or two before you go to bed so your sheets are warm, while your body temp is on the cooler side.”

Heating should be left on all throughout the winter, even when leaving home during the day. If turned off, the water pipes may freeze. Every time the temperature in Seoul dips below minus 15 degrees, a number of people find their homes unlivable due to loss of heating or even flooding if the pipes burst.

It's also sometimes advised to leave a tap dripping a little bit of water out on cold days, so the water doesn't sit in the pipes and freeze. However, this may not be necessary with newer buildings and larger apartments.

If windows can be kept closed, insulation layers can be added to keep the heat in. Window frames can be better sealed with tape. You can create an extra layer of insulation over the glass by placing plastic wrap over it. Another effective material is bubble wrap.

“Be mindful of condensation on windows leading to mold growth,” said Betsy Chan. “Poor insulation made condensation such a headache in our old villa.”

Coping with the humidity level

"It's not so much the uh heat, it's the humidity that'll kill ya," said Scott Carter, quoting John Candy in the 1993 movie “Cool Runnings,” from the

scene when the Jamaican athletes experience sub-zero weather for the first time upon arriving in Calgary

.

Even Canadians could not agree on whether Korean winters are humid or dry, based on the conditions in their hometowns.

“The winter is extremely dry here. I recommend taking a warm shower with the bathroom door open to fill your house with warm humid mist, then put on a sweater and track pants at home. Wear socks and buy good blankets.”

“Buy a humidifier,” added Jeff Ferguson from Strathroy, Ontario, located on an isthmus between two Great Lakes. “The winters here are a much drier cold than back home.”

Amanda Wee disagreed. “This is a wet cold. I didn't even wear heat tech in the minus-40-degree-Celsius Saskatchewan winters," she said.

The dryness of winter ― even here ― can cause some health problems, especially for the skin. A common winter affliction is eczema, which must be treated with a steroid cream. Fortunately we live in a country filled with skincare products that can keep anyone's skin healthy. Moisturizers, cleansing foams, exfoliants, sheet masks, eye creams and more can help protect skin from the harmful effects of the cold.

Outdoor activity

Being well-prepared to withstand the cold can make winter outdoor activities a lot more enjoyable. Snow doesn't fall very often in Seoul, so make sure to enjoy it before it melts.

If you're cold outside, remember that physical activity heats up your body and keeps you warm. But don't overdo it, because if you start sweating, the dampness could make you even colder you later.

If you're outside for long periods of time with skin left unprotected, be aware of the warning signs for frostbite and hypothermia.

Cold skin is likely to turn red as blood rushes to the surface to provide body heat. Cold tissue will start to ache. But when frostbite begins to set in, the area becomes numb, and may become pale or blackened. Most at risk are extremities such as parts of the face left uncovered, or the fingers or toes. Serious cases of frostbite might result in amputation.

Hypothermia is a more dangerous condition, and people suffering from it might exhibit exhaustion or confusion or slur their speech.

These conditions are especially dangerous to the very young and the very old, as well as the very inebriated. There are also medical conditions that may make one extra vulnerable, such as diabetes and poor blood circulation.

Last, Chelsea Dagger offered some of the most important advice for winter: “Don't eat yellow snow.”