The mighty minus

Winter clothes were invented for a reason! Wear them when it's cold!

Mr. Minus has been hitting the streets of Seoul for days now. It's -10C (17F) and if feels evern colder, I mean,it's really, really cold. As I was waiting for a bus in Daehangno, I thought my nose would fall off and fingers and toes turn to icicles. And I was well-dressed to impress Mr. Minus: lots and lots of layers underneath my warm fleece jacket; I had a beret, scarf, ski gloves, tights, jeans, warm socks, warm shoes... and I was freezing.
So, what's the deal with all the young Korean boys and girls wearing none of the normal winter attire? Are they out of their minds? Or are they somehow genetically better insulated against the cold? There's only so much I can do to stop myself from yeling at them: Get dressed! It's December, not August. " It's also that when I see them being so cold I get even colder.

A couple in their twenties walked by, holding frozen hands. The woman had a short jacket, open of course, a mini skirt, see-through silky tights that offered a good view of her numb purple flesh),high-heel shiny boots (that'll keep ya warm, girly), no gloves, no hat, no scarf; the only item on her that could possibly provide some warmth was her long black hari. I am not sure if the shiny stuff hanging off of her ears were crystal earrings or icicles? Her man wore a short unlined denim jacket, thin baggy cargo pants, canvas sneakers, a hat (at least that), no gloves, no scarf. His girlfriend's handbag hung over his hunched shoulders. They were sort of running in that funny choppy, dare I say typically Korean way, woman continuously squealing, Choowuh! Choowuh!, Choowuh! (cold, cold, cold), her boyfriend's chattering teeth supporting her intelligent observations.
This couple was no exception. Most of the young people around me (and most of the people around me were young, this being Daehangno) were just like that: underdressed and freezing. I was the exception, the overdressed freak.

I can't figure out why they're freezing. Is it just that a typical Korean winter does not last as long as in some other places I am used to, namely Toronto, so Koreans don't find it necessary to bother with proper winter insulation? Is it that these youngsters care for comfort far less than me? Is it that they think jackets would make them look fat? Hats would mess up their hair? Gloves would hide manicured hands? Scarves would cover delicate necklasses? What the hell is it? It's not that they can't afford jackets. Korea is a paradise of cheap clothes. While these clothes will surely not bring you the title of the best dressed, they will keep you warm.

To me this is a very curious social phenomenon. I notice that older people in Korea as well are not as bundled up as an average Canadian would be on a -10C day. Is it simply that Koreans are better at putting up with discomfort than let's say Canadians? Or is it all about looking good? Any ideas?
I notice that many people are coughing their lungs out and spreading all kinds of germs around them. A brilliant idea: a task force should be formed to impose fines on people who are underdressed on cold days. 100,000 won for not wearing gloves, 200, 000 for a hat not in sight, 500, 000 for no proper jacket... Drastic, of course, and a bit BigBrotherly, but in my view necessary. If some featherless loonies want to get sick that's their thing; but if in the process they endanger birds with proper feathers, then it's a matter of common concern, wouldn't you agree? I bet that if the underdressed could only once experience the snuggly comfort of a good fleece jacket on a cold day, they'd never go back to their bare ways. Bundle up, please, or get off the streets.