Fan Death

Never go to sleep with your fan still running. It may end up killing you. At least, this is what the majority of Koreans believe. Fan Death is a bizarre myth in Korea; the belief is that, if you leave a fan on for a long period of time (overnight), it will suck all of the oxygen out of the air, causing you to suffocate to death. Now, this may seem silly to anyone who reads or hears about it for the first time. I still think it's quite ridiculous. However, the Korean Government takes it very seriously, listing "asphyxiation from electric fans or air conditioners" as one of the most common summer accidents. How is this possible? According to medical professionals, it's not. According to every Korean I have spoken to about this issue, it is very possible.

I first broached the topic with my teacher's conversation class. This is a class I teach every Monday afternoon for any teacher in the school who wants to practice their conversational English. I usually find an interesting article to read or discuss but the conversation almost always ends up directly relating to me, my beliefs, and all-things America. A few weeks ago though, I decided to begin the class by asking everyone if they believed in Fan Death. I didn't exactly put it in those terms, but I got the general idea across. I asked something along the lines of, "Do you believe that a fan can kill someone if it is left on overnight in a closed room?" To my surprise, everybody in the room believed in Fan Death. They turned the question back at me and I said that, no, I do not believe in Fan Death. In fact, I have been sleeping with a fan on every single night for at least the past four years. This comment garnered a mixed reaction of concern, shock, and horror. Gasps, murmers, and OH NO's spread throughout the room. It was almost as if I just explained how I have been cheating death for the past four years. In a sense, this is what they were hearing. The mood in the room started to feel a little heavy, so I decided to change the topic. Incidentally, there had been complaints that some of my lesson topics were too heavy or morbid for some of the teachers, but that is a whole different subject altogether. 

Anyway, I continued my quest for a Korean who didn't believe in Fan Death the following weekend, at a bar in Hongdae. Somehow I started talking with three Koreans, all of whom were probably in their early twenties. After a few drinks and a few laughs, I decided to give it a shot. Almost immediately after asking about Fan Death, I could tell that this was a bad idea. All three of them looked at each other, said a few words in Korean, and told me that they did indeed believe in Fan Death. It didn't appear like a topic they wanted to discuss in any detail, so I didn't ask any follow-up questions.

Now, as I sit alone in my apartment at 12:30 AM on a Saturday morning, I am wondering one thing:

Is tonight the night? Is my fan finally going to suck all of the air out of my shabby apartment, thus causing me to die a horrible and painful death?

This is my fan:

Upon first glance, it looks harmless enough. I have no complaints. It kept me cool during those hot days of September. It provides me with the required ambient noise I need for sleep in the cold nights of December. It has shown no signs of evil intent. Is this the look of a secret killer? Perhaps, but I'm just going to keep on cheating death, one night at a time.