With the monsoon season in full swing, South Koreans are venting their frustration over hot and humid summer weather.
One Twitter user sounded very upset that there was no air conditioning while she was on the subway on Thursday morning. “I always ride in the same carriage. They had put the AC on until yesterday since last week but why? It was pouring down on Monday. Why? I don’t understand, really.”
She is not alone in voicing her displeasure. The number of complaints about hot temperatures in the subway has been on the rise over the last three years, according to data from Seoul Metro.
Pedestrians walk by a fog cooling system in Seoul (Yonhap)
Another user posted a picture of ice cubes served on a plate alongside a knife and a fork with the hashtags “summer,” “heat” and “sweat,” all in Korean.
The hot weather was also a common theme among K-pop idols on Twitter, with Hyuk of the boy band VIXX tweeting concern for his fans and wishing the heat would go away.
The hot weather is dreaded by people so much that it has an impact on part-time job seekers.
A survey of 1,488 people conducted by the job search portal Job Korea on Friday revealed mascot jobs are the least ideal work during summer.
The job, which requires workers to dress in a mascot costume, was named the “worst summer job” for the fifth consecutive year, followed by delivery services where workers often load heavy parcels onto trucks in the sweltering heat. Barbeque restaurants also ranked as one of the top five worst summer jobs, as workers often have to deal with charcoal fires.
A woman in central Seoul crosses the road in the rain. (Yonhap)
Respondents also said working in summer is more difficult than other seasons, as the rising discomfort leads to a higher number of complaints from customers and commuting becomes more stressful.
Humid and hot weather is expected over the weekend but heavy monsoon rains resume next week as Typhoon Maria approaches.
By Yim Hyun-su (
hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)