Citizens Turn to Search Engines Amid Cold Wave...Storm of Searches for Padding, Hot Packs, and Weather

Naver Trend 'Weather' Search Term Up Over 5 Times
Online Shopping Malls Also See Increased Interest in 'Cold Weather Gear'

Until last week, daytime temperatures in November broke records for the highest ever, with early summer-like weather continuing, but within just a few days, the seasonal clock has shifted to early winter, causing a surge in searches for 'cold-weather items' such as heat packs.

Increase in Searches for Cold-Weather Items Ahead of Ip-dong (Start of Winter)

Citizens wearing padded jackets in early winter weather.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The morning of the 3rd recorded a low temperature of 18.5°C, marking the warmest November morning in 116 years. Perhaps because of this, according to Naver Trends as of 9 a.m. on the 7th, there were almost no searches related to 'weather' from the past month up to the 3rd.

However, on the 6th, as a strong wind advisory was issued and Ip-dong (立冬) approached, the number of 'weather'-related searches on Naver Trends surged more than fivefold compared to the previous day.

Along with this, searches for 'padding'?which had been almost nonexistent?also increased more than fivefold on the 6th compared to the day before, and most cold-weather items such as heat packs, scarves, and gloves saw their search volumes jump more than fourfold.

The surge in searches for cold-weather items is analyzed to be due to the unusually warm weather for autumn leading into winter, which made the sudden cold feel more intense. On the morning of the 7th, the low temperature ranged from 1°C to 12°C, and the morning low dropped to 3°C, more than 12 degrees lower than the previous day (15.4°C), resulting in a perceived temperature as low as -1°C.

Cold-Weather Items Selling Fast on Online Shopping Malls... Preference for Soup Dishes Increasing

Consumers are flocking to online shopping malls to purchase cold-weather items.

According to Gmarket on the 7th, sales of heating products and winter clothing on the 6th increased significantly compared to the same day last week (October 30). Sales of heating devices on Gmarket rose 76% compared to the same day the previous week. In particular, sales of warm air heaters (188%) and electric heaters (143%) were strong.

Sales of heating mats more than tripled. Hot water mats (115%), electric mats (271%), and electric blankets/pads (262%) were popular.

There was also high demand for padding and soup dishes. Men's padding (157%) and women's padding (149%) both sold more than twice as much, and rice noodles (64%) and kalguksu (hand-cut noodle soup) and sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup) (105%) were also popular.

KMA Forecast: Brief Cold Spell to Continue Until the 8th

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) expects the brief cold spell to continue until the 8th. After a low-pressure system passed over the Korean Peninsula last weekend, bringing rain nationwide, a continental high-pressure system located to the north of the peninsula, carrying cold and dry air, is expanding its influence.

A KMA official explained, "Cold air from the north will flow in for a while, causing temperatures to drop sharply by about 5 to 10 degrees."

Preparing for a Healthy Winter

○ Indoors
- Engage in light indoor exercise
- Maintain adequate hydration
- Eat a balanced diet with proper nutrients
- Keep the temperature between 18℃ and 20℃
- Maintain humidity between 40% and 60%

○ Outdoors
- Check weather information (including perceived temperature) before going out
- Avoid outdoor activities in cold weather as much as possible
- Wear thermal underwear or layer thin clothing
- Wear gloves, scarves, hats, and masks
- Avoid excessive exercise

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.