Korean Job Discussion Forums

[R. S. Refugee]

Hi,

I'm living in temporary quarters while looking for a new job. It's in a shared apartment where I don't have any control over the heat. The ajumma who does control the heat has kept it too cold for me.

During the past month I had the swine flu and was sick in bed for a couple of days recovering from that. The temperature the entire time I was in bed recovering was 17 degrees (Celsius, of course). Once I recovered and I started complaining to the landlord (a relative of the ajumma) and told him it was too cold. He says that none of the other 3 room renters cares about being warm except me. They all like being cold. I said I don't really care what they like, I want my room to be between 22 and 25 degrees C. I asked my doctor what was a healthy room temperature and that was what he told me.

They finally got it up to 22 yesterday and that was just fine. But today, it is just under 20 and I am uncomfortable again.

I'm just curious to find out what other people consider to be acceptable room temperatures where they live. I realize, of course, that I'm probably in a pretty unusual situation not being able to adjust the heat myself.

cheers.

[eamo]

They're just being cheap. Trying to save money at your expense. Threaten to with-hold any further payments until the heating is always over 22C. Room temperature in Winter is accepted as between 22C - 25C.

I've never been in the home of Korean during Winter where the temperature was less than 25C........They like it really stuffy so they can lounge around in shorts and t-shirt.

[VanIslander]

20 C

[Otherside]

Wow, so your room is at 19-20C?

Put on a sweater and you'll be fine, it's not exactly the storm of the century in there...

[TheUrbanMyth]

17 C

And it's a Goldilocks temperature.

[matthews_world]

Without ondol I'm 19-20 here in Daegu. I don't find it that cold. I'm sure when high temps drop below 10C I'll be turning the ondol on low.

[Kimchi Cha Cha]

Mine's hovering between 17 and 20C, which is fine for me. I wear a sweater and jacket outdoors, and just take the jacket off when I walk inside. Anything much higher is uncomfortably stuffy and a waste of electricity for me, my gf's apartment's a bloody sauna!

Back home Sydney has virtually no winter to talk of but I remember similar or lower temperatures at night as there was little or no heating, and little need for it either.

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Do some starjumps. A drink wouldn't hurt either.

[gmarthews]

It's 15 degrees without the ondol on, my preferred temp is between 17 and 18 degrees.

[adventurrre]

Being cheap at the expense of your own comfort WHEN YOU MAKE GOOD MONEY is stupid. Turn the damn heat on - an extra 15,000원 for 30 days comfort.

[PeteJB]

Being in a tightly packed area has it's benefits - My room rarely goes below 20 degrees celcius even with the Ondol off (short of opening the window wide).

[pkang0202]

I got a cheap ondol controller. YOu can't set a temperature. YOu can only turn a dial that shows a picture of 1 flame, 2 flames or 3 flames. I usually turn that dial up about 1/3 of the way and it heats the room fine.

[Forever]

Mine is sitting on 25 degrees celcius.

A little high - but I sleep nude - so just the right temperature.

[DeMayonnaise]

Wow you guys are weak. My entire life we kept the temperature around 65 in the winter (18.3 Celsius). When I lived in college we kept it at a pleasant 55 (12.7) because we were cheap.

They make these things called sweaters. Right now its 23 in my room and I'm sitting here in.

Are the people in this thread from South Africa by any chance? I hear they don't have winter there. Weird.

To me Korea doesn't even have winter. Sure there are a few nippy days, but if there's no snow on the ground, it's not winter. Just a really long, ugly fall.

[ChopChaeJoe]

13-14 degrees these days. I only notice it's cold when I get out of the shower in the morning. I figure I'll turn it on sooner or later. What's the rush? It isn't even winter yet.