surviving summer
a guide to be used for SOUTH KOREA
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table of contents
correlating video: coming soon
guide updated 22.05.14
spring is over and summer is coming, which means it’s basically here already. summer in korea is like walking into soup, especially during the rainy season. the humidity, the bugs, the heat, and the rain can be a lot to deal with and can make this season a drag, but there are ways to remedy your plight. in this guide, you’ll find some tips on how to take care of yourself, how to take care of your home, and how to enjoy the summer despite it all. if you have any 꿀팁s yourself, please leave them in a comment below!
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
hydrate
You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again here, too. You need to hydrate with water and electrolytes. This is essential for all times of the year, but especially in weather that will leave you sweating and overheated.
Buying bottled water at a convenience store is always an option, but I try to bring my own water with me in a reusable, non-plastic bottle. This is better for the environment and for sure better for your wallet. A bottle of water from a GS25 isn’t that expensive, but it can add up over time.
I have two different sizes of water bottles depending on what I’m doing; I have my regular large one for work, long trips, and everyday use (~700ml/24oz), and then I have a smaller one if I’m just going out for a few hours with friends (~380/13oz). Having different options means there is never an excuse not to bring your water bottle along; it can be convenient to carry in every situation. I always make sure to have water on me, and you should, too.
You can buy water bottles all over Korea so there is no excuse to not have one. You can find cute ones at your favorite chain café, department stores, Homeplus, emart, Artbox, and even Daiso. Make sure to buy a few so you can wash one while using another… and don’t forget to actually wash them, either. Mold can and will grow inside. And that is nasty.
The word for “water bottle” in Korean is 물통 (mul-tong). 물 means water while 통 is a type of container.
see ya, sweaty
We’ve all been there… genetics depending, you lucky bastards. When antiperspirant doesn’t actually anti the perspirant, there is a way to still avoid visible swamp pit: sweat pads.
You can buy pads that absorb sweat on Coupang. You stick them on the inside of your shirt and you should be good to go.
Sometimes, though, with certain brands, the sticky part won’t always stick to the fabric or it will leave behind a residue when you decide to take it off. You may need to experiment with a few different brands before you find one that you like.
Also, make sure to check out the size of the pad itself. There are a few different sizes and shapes to try out. If you sweat a lot, I’d suggest getting a bigger size. If you have shirts of various styles, it’s also worth getting a few different types of sweat pads. There are different shapes to fit different types of shirts.
You’ll wanna use “겨땀패드” (gyo-ttam-pae-deu) to find these little guys. 겨 refers to armpit, 땀 means sweat, and 패드 is, well, phonetically “pad.”
sunscreen
Never forget your sunscreen. I have three different types of sunscreen that I use daily: regular cream sunscreen for my face, cream sunscreen for my body, and then a stick sunscreen to reapply throughout the day.
I use SPF 50+ and rarely ever anything below, but it’s your body so do what is best for you. I use Dr. Jart and Dr. G sunscreen.
I really suggest having a stick sunscreen for easy application throughout the day. I don’t wear foundation, so I cannot say if it would or wouldn’t wipe off your makeup, but the brand I use doesn’t leave any weird residue or streaks. Stick sunscreen is a lot more convenient than creams, too.
If you do use makeup, there are products designed to suit your needs: look for formulas packed inside a cushion or as a powder.
Sunscreen (or sunblock), in general, is 선블록 (son-beul-rok) Korean. If you are looking for cream, you should look for 선크림 (son-keu-rim). If you want to buy a stick, look for 선스틱 (son-seu-tik). For sprays: 선스프레이 (son-seu-peu-rei). If you want to try products that can go over makeup, look for 선쿠션 (son-ku-shyon, sun cushion) and 선파우더 (son-pa-u-duh, sun powder).
fans
You can buy personal fans at many different stores, even Daiso. A lot of people in Korea use these fans during the summer: at desks, on the bus, and while walking down the street. It’s not weird to carry one around. If it’ll make you more comfortable, then go for it.
Be careful, though. These little guys can and will overheat at times, so don’t use it consistently for long periods of time. It’s also suggested to not use a rapid charger with them, as the batter can explode or start to smoke.
A mini fan won’t cost you too much, between ₩5,000 and ₩15,000 depending on the quality and where you buy it from. Fan is “선풍기” (son-pung-gi) in Korean. If you want to search online, you can use any one of the following:
휴대용 선풍기 (hyu-dae-yong son-pung-gi), portable fan
손선풍기 (son-son-pung-gi), hand-held fan
미니 선풍기 (mi-ni son-pung-gi), mini fan
미니 탁상용 선풍기 (mi-ni tak-ssang-nyong son-pung-gi), mini table-top fan
bug bites
If you are lucky, you won’t get any mosquito bites. If you are normal, you will.
There are a few different types of medicines to soothe bug bites in Korea, but this is what most people I know use (not sponsored, I swear).
Besides medicine, in Korea you can buy small band-aid-like patches to put over any bug bites you get. Some brands and types may have medicine already on the patch itself, but some don’t. These patches are useful especially if you are wearing clothing that keeps rubbing over the bite causing it to itch like crazy. They do tend to fall off a bit easier than regular patches, though (or at least the ones I bought do), so I’d carry around the pack with you if you want to reapply.
To find the bug bite patches online, search for 모기패치 (mo-gi-pae-chi). 모기 means “mosquito” and 패치 is, well, patch.
A lot of patches are designed for children. There are only a few neutral designs, so you’ll have to settle for that unless you want Elsa on your arm.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOME
banish the bugs
Mosquitos and other bugs can be ruthless. If you don’t take care of the problem, soon they’ll be the tenant and you’ll just be the guest in your apartment.
If you have absolutely no idea how the hell those little fuckers are getting inside (because, hey! My windows have a screen!!), then I suggest you check the screen again. No, not just for little holes in the screen itself, but if you look on the edge, you might find a gap.
A lot of screens in Korea do not go over the entire window. Instead, they only go over the portion of the window that can be opened at any given time (because windows open by sliding instead of opening upwards, there doesn’t need to be a screen across it all). This means that there may be a gap between the frame that holds the screen and the frame that holds the windowpane.
Also, if you look below the screen and on the sliding track, you will see another gap. Where the track and window meet, there might be yet another gap. All of these places are where those bugs can come from and you’re going to want to close them up if you want to decrease the number of squatters in your place.
the space between the window frames
the space where the track and the window frame meet
To seal up the large gap in your window, use some 우레탄 문풍지 (u-re-tan mun-pung-ji; urethane window strips), from Daiso. You can find it near the drapes/hardware. Depending on how many windows you have, you’re going to want to buy a few different packs. You should also check how large the gap is so you can buy the correct width and height.
Here is how to fix the gap:
Measure your window and cut the strip to size.
After you clean off the window and dry it, attach the strip.
Make sure to position your window properly and that the gap is sufficiently closed.
Fix those other holes, too. You can use leftover pieces from the urethane strip or buy window screen patches called 모기장 패치 (mo-gi-jang pae-chi; mosquito net patch). These are sold online and also at Daiso during the summer months.
Besides your windows, bugs can also come up from the pipes. I suggest getting some netting and putting it around your drains. You can find some at Daiso or online. There are specific nets/traps for bugs in drains, but I like to use the ones designed to catch food scraps. They are a real game-changer. Bugs love a dirty house, too, so take out your trash and wash your dishes. Don’t let it sit.
I also recommend getting an electric bug swatter. You can find them at Daiso or online. They are called 전기모기채 (jon-gi-mo-gi-chae). 전기 means electronic, 모기 means mosquito, and 채 means net or swatter.
clean your aircon
Because this is an essential appliance for scorching summers, you gotta take care of it. This means that you need to clean your air conditioner before using it, especially if you haven’t in a while or just moved into a new place (although it is recommended to clean it every year regardless). If you do not clean your air conditioner, you may be spreading dust and mold every time you use it.
Cleaning your air conditioner should be done by a professional. A professional will eradicate any trace of mold, while your 물티슈 on the end of a chopstick is, well, sad.
Hiring a professional will cost around ₩50,000 to ₩70,000 (for an aircon that hangs on the wall), but expect to pay somewhere in the middle. You can pay them with cash or bank transfer. Sometimes they will bundle in a washing machine cleaning, too. I suggest taking advantage of it if they offer it.
To make an appointment, you should first search “에어컨 청소” (air conditioner cleaning) on Naver Maps or on Kakao. Some people will not travel all over the city and only service specific areas, so make sure you find someone close to your place. It is typical to call, but some will respond to texts. I suggest asking others around your area for recommendations for a cleaning company or if there is someone who is English-friendly or able to communicate through text if your Korean isn’t up to par.
There is also a difference between air conditioners that hang on the wall (벽걸이형에어컨, byokk-kori-hyong-e-o-kon) and those that stand upright (스탠드형에어컨, seu-taen-deu-hyong-e-o-kon). The professional will want to know which one you have, so be ready to let them know.
A professional will need access to your bathroom and will always set up tarps to keep your things safe from the nasty water that will result in their cleaning. I highly suggest that you move any furniture that is directly in the way of the bathroom and remove anything that would make it difficult for them to easily move around (and anything you don’t want to be splashed with dirty water).
For example, I have a shower curtain and a few different racks in my bathroom to hold up soaps and whatnot. I would pin the shower curtain back and remove the racks from my bathroom so the professional doesn’t have to worry about touching any clean towels or knocking over my things. It’ll just make their job easier.
The entire process will take under an hour, so don’t expect to spend all day waiting awkwardly around while the cleaning company works.
get a dehumidifier
Humidity makes summer way worse than it needs to be. Getting a dehumidifier can make your place a bit more livable, especially if you live near the sea or in a place like Daegu (which is notorious for being nasty during the summer).
A lot of air conditioners already in apartments will have a dehumidifying option (제습), but if yours doesn’t, buy a dehumidifier (제습기). I suggest getting a dehumidifier that is “too big” for your space. It is way better than having one that is too small. If you live in a one-room or studio apartment, get one that collects around 10 liters of water; it should cost around ₩200,000~₩300,000 but is worth the investment. If it has wheels, even better (you can move it easier).
You can also buy dehumidifying boxes (제습제) and other mini dehumidifiers for random small spaces (like a closet or shoes). I have some put in various places around my apartment at all times of the year, just in case. Once mold takes hold of your apartment, it never wants to let go.
look for leaks
In the rainy season, you should pay attention to your walls. Not all places will leak, but some will… and when it leaks, there is mold.
If your place is leaking, you need to tell your landlord right away so they can get it fixed. You need to be extremely proactive about this, especially during the rainy season. It can rain for weeks on end and that will do anything but make the leak better.
If you do have a leak, document it with pictures. This way, you can send updates to your landlord if it is taking them a long time to respond or get the issue fixed. Water makes mold and mold makes health problems. If you have pictures, you also have a clear timeline of how long it took for them to fix something and if their negligence caused you any issues. This happened to me in the past and my pictures did save me a lot of trouble (I got out of a contract without any excess fees).
I had a leak in an old apartment and it got so bad, that the jackets I had hanging up near the leak started to get moldy and I had to toss them. That happened in a matter of days after noticing the leak (but that old place was a death trap to begin with, so perhaps it’s just a special case).
WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT
find water
There are two main types of fun-water-places people visit in Korea besides a water park: beaches (해수욕장) and valleys (계곡).
Korea is literally surrounded by water and filled with mountains and valleys, so there are plenty to choose from. I suggest searching around your area for a fun, quick place to travel to when you feel like it.
Keep in mind that valleys are mostly visited by families with children, so if you’re just a lonely 외국인 (foreigner) watching a bunch of kids, people will look at you weird.
My favorite beach to go to during the summer is Dadaepo Beach (다대포 해수욕장) in Busan. It’s more family-oriented, so expect kids, but it’s rarely super crowded and it is absolutely stunning. It’s also void of a lot of bars, so screaming people and drunk old men are few and far between. There are some secret beaches as well that are for sure amazing and worth a visit… if you can find them.
My favorite valley is called Neunggang Valley (능강 계곡); it’s in the center of Korea and close to Jecheon. There is a bus that goes there (from the city of Jecheon), but going by car is superior. You should go early, bring a tent, food, beer, and some water guns to mess around with.
eat food
In Korea, people beat the heat with a lot of different types of foods, especially spicy food, but my favorite summer foods are cold soups, noodles, and bingsu (빙수). Although there are some famous chain brands for this shaved ice dessert, I suggest going to local cafes and places that specialize in it. The chains can be delicious, but sometimes it tastes like something is missing.
The best 빙수 I’ve ever had was in Daegu near Suseong Lake. There is a café inside an airplane (aptly named the 비행기카페, airplane café) that has 빙수 like I’ve never tasted before. I’m not sure exactly how they make it, but my theory is that instead of shaving regular ice and putting on toppings, they shave flavored ice or frozen fruit. This makes it taste completely like the flavor you ordered. It’s quite big, though, so you need to go with a friend or two. I recommend ordering the strawberry 빙수.
try something new
If it’s too hot to go outside and do anything, why don’t you just stay inside? But not at your home, no. Stay inside at a place where you need to try something new.
Ever wanted to take a ceramics class? Find a local ceramics café or hobby shop that has lessons and try it out for the day. Try woodworking, making leather pieces, basket weaving, baking, flower arranging, literally anything. Korea has so many of these types of cafes and places where you can try out different crafts, might as well take advantage of them.
I took a pottery class with a friend before and it only cost around ₩50,000 for a few hours and I made several pieces (one of which was an incense burner that looked too phallic for my taste so I just threw it away). Grab a friend, pick a hobby to try, and go for it. What’s the worst that can happen? Figure out you can never recreate that scene from ‘Ghost’?
