Comments on: Korean Fan Death Myth: Why Are Koreans Scared Of Fans?

By: Joel Marrinan

Joel Marrinan — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 05:03:18 +0000

In reply to Ben Johnson. Interesting. Hadn't considered that. Could definitely be something that is less shameful than the real cause of death. Similar to how Korean media often won't use the word 'suicide' when a celebrity dies.

By: Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 02:24:35 +0000

On of the explaination for death by fan myth is doctors wrote it in the families copy of a death certificate as a cover for the person committing suicide which is a shameful thing in Korea.

By: Tom Renholder

Tom Renholder — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 03:42:17 +0000

Another explanation I’ve come across is that people claim it as the cause of death of a relative instead of admitting they committed suicide, because of the shame/stigma traditionally associated with that. Kind of like how people in the West would say “He accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun.”

By: Joel Marrinan

Joel Marrinan — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 02:50:35 +0000

In reply to Steph Jo. It's definitely an interesting topic and surprising how ingrained it is in the culture in Korea. I haven't heard of anyone dying from it this summer, so maybe we're safe at last?

By: Steph Jo

Steph Jo — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 13:19:25 +0000

I found this article bc I was looking for the reason WHY Koreans believe in fan death and where it actually came from. I found this entire article hilarious..and the memes! I first heard about fan death from my relatives after moving to Korea about 10 years ago. I couldn’t help laughing in their face. One of my coworkers was adamant that it’s real and talked about the deaths she’s heard about in the past. How interesting that even the Korean government believes in fan death, as well! In my home in the summer, we sleep with the aircon on all night blowing straight on us. We use a fan when it’s not as hot out. The windows stay closed bc bugs..the doors stay closed bc it stays insulated and gets cooler faster. It’s just common sense.

By: Joel Marrinan

Joel Marrinan — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 03:36:45 +0000

In reply to Carl Wong. Thanks for sharing. I guess fan death fear is present in other countries as well (or maybe he heard about it from Korea?). Interesting to hear that car aircon is also an issue! I hope he's OK with fans eventually.

By: Carl Wong

Carl Wong — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:28:37 +0000

My father is Chinese (not Korean), and he firmly believes in fan death. He is afraid to run an electric fan too close to his body or not oscillating from side to side. This wastes electricity, since the fan must be set to a higher speed since it is farther away. He is also afraid of dying from air conditioners in cars. When I have an electric fan running one foot away from my body, he fears that I am about to die.

I tried to explain to him that fans only move air around, so it is no different than when being outside on a windy day, but he insists that that is not the same as being next to an electric fan.