Korean Job Discussion Forums

[laynamarya]

So, the lighting situation in Korea has been bothering me for a long time.

Back home, I always used full-spectrum incandescent lights, usually 100-watt bulbs. They lit up the room as close to sunlight as anything else I've come across, reduced eyestrain and SAD issues, and basically just made for a better home environment.

But I have not been able to find anything even remotely comparable in Korea. Our house is filled with cheap, low-quality fluorescent bulbs, which make me feel like I'm in a hospital or prison, give me headaches, and hurt my eyes. There MUST be better options.

My husband and I have gone to various lighting stores both near our house and afar, and no one has ever heard of full-spectrum lighting (though I know for certain it exists for fluorescent bulbs, too). He's checked the internet, too, but he says those kinds of lights are extremely rare and expensive in this country. I even brought one back from my most recent trip to the US, but the guy at the lighting store said it would start a fire if I used it here, even if I used a voltage converter.

So what's a girl to do? Are there actually full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs to be had in Seoul? Are there sleeve-like filters we can put over the bulbs to improve the light quality? Is there any hope in checking out LED lights instead? The aim is the get as close as possible to natural sunlight.

Thanks!

[Pablo]

Hi Laynamarya

I feel your pain. I just got here and I don't have a solution, but I know what you mean. Fluorescent lighting definitely affects my mood. I don't mind it at work, but at home is another thing.

I'm not familiar with full-spectrum bulbs, but even just regular incandescent bulbs make a big difference for me. For the time being, I have replaced all my white fluorescent bulbs with the golden-tinted ones available here at the store. It's only a partial help, but it's still better than the "prison" lights at home. I read that fluorescent lights actually flicker rapidly on and off at high speed, too high to notice normally. It seems like no surprise that this could irritate the eyes and mind.

I used to live in Thailand, and when I replaced my apartment's fluorescent fixtures there with regular incandescent fixtures, I felt a lot better. It was well-worth the higher electricity bill for me.

Hope you can find a solution that works for you.

Pablo

[radcon]

White people problems. (thanks SNL)

[fortysixyou]

I never turn on the overhead fluorescent lights at home. They're disgusting. I buy lamps and put incandescent bulbs in them. I recommend this. I'm super lighting-sensitive too, so I feel your pain. Buy lamps.

[orosee]

100 W lightbulbs

Outlawed now in the EU (though that's silly). Are 60 W not enough?

Try Philips? http://www.lighting.philips.co.kr/. I have two of these http://www.philips.de/c/livingambiance/livingcolors-glaenzend-schwarz-6915030ph/prd/ at home and while they're not reading lights, they can be used to match or improve your mood.

Unfortunately, in most of Asia fluorescent light is considered "status".

[singerdude]

I installed LED light bulbs throughout my house. Yes they are expensive, but the prices are dropping. Now you can get 2nd generation Samsung bulbs for around 14,000 won each. They are the equivalent to 60W bulbs but only use 7.2 watts. You can buy different color temperatures. Bright white is around 6500K and yellowish light is around 2500-5000K I believe. They are healthier as well since there is no mercury in them.

The main thing you want to look for is not the 60W equivalent rating, but the number of lumens. The ones for 14,000 won are 580 lumens. Samsung has a bulb that is rated over 800 lumens but that one costs around 28,000.