South Koreans wore face masks before they were cool
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see people wearing face masks in public. But in South Korea and other parts of Asia, they were wearing face masks before they became cool. Their reason for doing so wasn’t as much about preventing the spread of germs as it was getting sick from breathing.
You see, South Korea’s rapid development in technology and infrastructure has made the air in large cities a health risk when inhaled. To avoid most contaminants from settling in their lungs, South Koreans would don face masks before stepping outdoors. In public parks, it’s completely fine to remove your mask, since the air there is a lot cleaner than in urban settings.