Healthier AND unhealthier aspects of life in South Korea

I am surprised no one mentioned alcohol.  Being encouraged to drink alcohol regularly at work settings and in one's social life so much is unhealthy.  Having soju so cheap doesn't help either. 

People need to get intoxicated.  But not like this.  One of the few things I like about the pandemic is being able to drink in moderate amounts.  In reality, no amount of alcohol is healthy but I think having a tall boy or two is lot less unhealthy than what I have normally been expected to drink.  At times, I have flippantly thought about converting to some religion so I don't have to drink. 

People need to get intoxicated.

Why? I know plenty of people, including myself who have never felt the need or desire to get intoxicated.

People need to get intoxicated.

Why? I know plenty of people, including myself who have never felt the need or desire to get intoxicated.

Not every individual. But becoming intoxicated at least occasionally is a popular human behavior.

Some healthy things I like about Korea include an outstanding public transportation system, which is good for the environment, and plenty of outdoor places to exercise.  I like hiking and there is never a mountain too far away in Korea. 

Yeh hippo, don't you know that confusedlolfer doesn't drink? Your observation that people tend to like a drink, supporting a multi-billion dollar industry in the process, is totally invalid. How can he make dull and priggish posts if the room is spinning?

Yeh hippo, don't you know that confusedlolfer doesn't drink? Your observation that people tend to like a drink, supporting a multi-billion dollar industry in the process, is totally invalid. How can he make dull and priggish posts if the room is spinning?

Chimp, the only thing that is invalid, is your comment.

Where's all the rotting food in the super markets? Never had an issue.

Its all greenhouse produce though in Korea.

Less tasty and probably less nutritive. Aquaponics etc


That's why i always buy the more expensive organic stuff.

I am surprised no one mentioned alcohol. 

Oh man. Drinking is so bad in Korea. The green bottle soju is the only non-beer thing Koreans drink and it's basically poison. As for beer, you pretty much usually only have Hite or Cass to choose from, the two worst beers on the planet. Better Korean beers are available but most of the time when you go to a restaurant the coolers are just full of Hite or Cass. Foreign beers tend to be horrifically expensive because of protectionist tariffs, and a lot of them are low-quality versions of international beers. This is really noticeable if you drink Tsingtao or a few other foreign beers, I can't remember which ones were the worst offenders but Tsingtao was definitely one of them. The 500ml can versions are usually the worst.

I did find some good foreign beers here and there like Hoegaarden Grand Cru and Morretti Doppio Malto, but you'd usually be paying like twice what you would in the US or Europe.

Also there are amazing brands of soju from Andong, there's one with an owl on the label but I can't remember the name. Very smooth to drink and it won't give you a horrible hangover from just one glass like the green bottle shit will. Bring it to a hoesik and give it to all your Korean workmates and they'll all get really red-faced and drunk because they aren't used to drinking anything but the green bottle shit.

Oh man. Drinking is so bad in Korea. The green bottle soju is the only non-beer thing Koreans drink and it's basically poison. As for beer, you pretty much usually only have Hite or Cass to choose from, the two worst beers on the planet. Better Korean beers are available but most of the time when you go to a restaurant the coolers are just full of Hite or Cass. Foreign beers tend to be horrifically expensive because of protectionist tariffs, and a lot of them are low-quality versions of international beers. This is really noticeable if you drink Tsingtao or a few other foreign beers, I can't remember which ones were the worst offenders but Tsingtao was definitely one of them. The 500ml can versions are usually the worst.

I did find some good foreign beers here and there like Hoegaarden Grand Cru and Morretti Doppio Malto, but you'd usually be paying like twice what you would in the US or Europe.

MayorHaggar how long has it been since you've been in Korea?

Because everything you've written is comically wrong.

1) If you think Cass/Hite are the worst, you clearly don't know the depths of beer. Blatz, Black Label, Milwaukee's Best, Busch Light all are worse and that's before we get to Schlitz and Camo Black Ice.

2) Terra has pretty much pushed out Hite. Kloud had its moment too.

3) All alcohol is basically poison.

4) Foreign beers are not horrifically expensive. Maybe because you're in a bar charging 250% markup but that's every bar around the planet that isn't a dive.

5) Uhhh...you know what the price is for 4 500 ml cans of foreign beer is, right? Like I think it's basically the same as Australia.

Dude, I kind of think you either need to return Korea or stop posting on Korean-related stuff because you're just out of touch at this point. And that's before we get to the bigoted nature of some of your past takes.

Beers run for like 4 for 10k-won. Pretty cheap imo.

One of the greatest testaments to Korean food culture is the VARIETY of fresh, clean prepped kinds of lettuce at every local supermarket. It is remarkable. And the height of nutrition.

How is this different from your average Western European supermarket? Genuinely curious.

How is this different from your average Western European supermarket? Genuinely curious.

Your average American supermarket doesn't have it. You have to cut up and clean the leafy greens yourself, and buy in prepackaged form, not weighed self-selected amounts.

Europe? I have no idea.

People need to get intoxicated.

Why? I know plenty of people, including myself who have never felt the need or desire to get intoxicated.

Every tight *** overly-wound-up stiff i've met doesn't drink. Male & female.

It is a basic tenet of psychology.
No wonder they have more heart attacks.
They don't unwind, relax and go with the flow sometimes.

Also knew heaps of people that didn't drink, preferring to smoke.

Heaps? In Korea?

Marijuana smokers in Vancouver, yeah.

Oh man. Drinking is so bad in Korea.

The winter air is very dry here and will dehydrate you quicker than elsewhere.

Meaning you're more likely to wake up with a horrendous hangover.

The winter air is very dry here and will dehydrate you quicker than elsewhere.

Meaning you're more likely to wake up with a horrendous hangover.

I was told 20 years ago: drink two glasses of water after a night of soju and you'll only wake up to an eager piss in the bowl. Not being much of a drinker, i took it to heart, and dang, it has served me well.

The winter air is very dry here and will dehydrate you quicker than elsewhere.

Meaning you're more likely to wake up with a horrendous hangover.

A lot of that is due to the gas heat inside your apartment.  It will dry you out.  You need a high quality humidifier to counter balance that.  It will help a lot though not undo all of it. 

For those with gas heating, that's certainly true.
Another factor is that cold fronts during the winter originate from the Siberian landmass and sweep south and east over the semi-arid interior plateau before it hits Korea. Almost all of the moisture has already long precipitated out, making the winters here pretty lacking in moisture.
Local coastal regions will be less so, obviously, but in the Korean interior it gets hella dry. 

For those with gas heating, that's certainly true.
Another factor is that cold fronts during the winter originate from the Siberian landmass and sweep south and east over the semi-arid interior plateau before it hits Korea. Almost all of the moisture has already long precipitated out, making the winters here pretty lacking in moisture.
Local coastal regions will be less so, obviously, but in the Korean interior it gets hella dry. 

Only sometimes.  Sometimes it can be a bit damp slightly and more overcast or hazy skies.  I do love it when the cold comes down from Siberia because it blows all the junk away even if it is cold.  Usually a week or two in January with the odd day or two in Dec and Feb.   

Unhealthy: air quality

its no longer such an issue. The air is a lot cleaner now than it was pre-covid.

Basically Korea realized it was mostly their own fault. They closed down a few coal power stations and.... bingo. problem solved.

Hmm. Is that it? I’d say it’s also partially due to people staying home more, thus doing less driving, both in Korea and China. Many areas of China are currently under lockdown - people aren’t allowed to leave their homes.