Koreans tend to keep themselves covered up no matter the weather, but especially when it’s sunny. I often go running through town wearing shorts and a tank top (sweating buckets because of the heat and humidity) and I’ll pass a Korean running in long pants, long sleeves, gloves, a hat, and a face mask. I don’t understand how they don’t pass out from heat stroke! When it’s sunny, many Koreans wear extra clothing, large hats, and carry umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun’s rays.
UPDATE: The Las Angeles Times just published this great article, In South Korea, Beachgoers Stay Out of the Sun by John M. Glionna, which discusses the Koreans’ apparent dislike for the sun. He writes that Korea is a country “where tans are dismissed as the mark of laborers.” The article is a fun read if you have the time!
The day we went to Mallipo Beach was beautiful weather! There was lots of sunshine, only a few clouds, a little wind, high humidity, and temperature highs in the 90’s. It was a hot day, especially on a beach with no shade. My friend and I were only wearing swimsuits and sunglasses and we were sweating. Keep this in mind as you look at the photos below. What we saw Koreans wearing at the hot, humid, and sunny beach was “not quite right.”
When I lived in Seoul in the late 70s-early 80s it wasn't like this. My Korean girlfriends and I wore string bikinis and didn't worry about tanning skin. Too bad the way things are. Now Korean and other Asian women are at high risk for osteoporosis due to lack of Vitamin D from the sun. Being deathly pale is unnatural and unhealthy.