Fuck, That Looks Cold

by Robert Koehler on February 1, 2009

Korean Special Forces training in an icy river of Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do.

{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }

1 foflappy February 1, 2009 at 12:16 am: The Polar Bear/K-2 Club. Brrrr.
2 SomeguyinKorea February 1, 2009 at 1:00 am: Nice picture… It’s not as cold as you think. They’ve got wetsuits under their uniforms, maybe even dry suits (notice the gloves?). Since scuba diving under a foot of ice is no big deal while wearing a wetsuit, I’d imagine these guys aren’t freezing their nuts off.
3 SomeguyinKorea February 1, 2009 at 1:03 am: PS. The logo on the gloves they are wearing in the first picture looks like the logo of O’Neill, which makes scuba diving gear.
4 SomeguyinKorea February 1, 2009 at 1:04 am: Correction…second and third pictures from the top.
5 lupin_the_4th February 1, 2009 at 1:06 am: The one thing you don’t wanna mess with is ROK Special Forces.

I take that back, they’re the 2nd on the “Don’t Mess With” list, right behind Ajumma.

But ajumma really transcend the need to be listed…. in the same way “oxygen” is never included in lists of “Things I Love.”
6 Darth Babaganoosh February 1, 2009 at 3:04 am: In the first trip The Amazing Race made to Korea, the racers had to do something similar. The differences were the racers stripped down to swimming trunks (no wetsuits) and they to swim UNDER the ice for something like 20-25m (from one hole to another). I felt cold just watching them.
7 virtual wonderer February 1, 2009 at 8:22 am: i love the korean comments…

“참 평소에 하지도않는거 카메라 앵글 포즈잡아주느라 고생한다 ..좀 실전적훈련을 해라.. 보여주기식 훈련은 이제그만 절대 비효율적이다..겨울에 전투복만입고 물에는 머하러 기어들어가는데 ..나때도 저랬지만 아직까지도..저러네 .. 저때 방송국이나 신문기자들와서 물에들어가 포즈한번 잡아달라그럴때 진짜 죽여버리고싶더만 .. 기자님들도 반성좀하쇼 ~ 추운날 고생하는 군인들 힘들게하지말고”
8 IamMagical February 1, 2009 at 8:44 am: @6, they’re lucky they didn’t have to do this before the rise in winter temperatures. That would have been something impressive, since Korea turns into Antarctica in the winter.
9 Darth Babaganoosh February 1, 2009 at 10:37 am: they’re lucky they didn’t have to do this before the rise in winter temperatures

They came through in January ’03 (this was Season 4), and it was right by the North Korean border… the rise in winter temperatures was still a few years in the future. It was cold.
10 cmm February 2, 2009 at 1:56 am: paints a different picture than this one:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p-kM6wQADGw/SWQg6necBeI/AAAAAAAABwU/tRr4l-An-1M/s1600-h/automotivator11111111111111111111.jpg
11 SeoulFinn February 2, 2009 at 2:53 am: It’s not that cold or even hard to do as some of you may think. Or maybe my body has just gotten used to “ice swimming” since I take a dip once a week? *shrugs*

I recommend ice swimming for everyone. It feels great and I haven’t had a flu, fever or runny nose this winter. Maybe the reason for being so healthy is that I’m back in Finland where a) the houses are warm even during the coldest time of the year, and b) clothes are practical and warm?
12 cmm February 2, 2009 at 9:01 am: It must be nice to be back in a place that understands how to properly use thermal insulation and uses thermally efficient building designs.
13 SomeguyinKorea February 2, 2009 at 11:10 am: #11,

Sure, but you need to remember who this picture was intended to impress. In Korea, people rarely go swimming at the beach before and after July and August even though the water is piss warm from late April to early October.
14 soondae February 2, 2009 at 11:35 am: Wonder if these guys are in Korea for training and get sent to Afghanistan once it is completed.
15 captbbq February 4, 2009 at 1:18 am: 12)

The first thought that came to mind was the 5,000 or so who died fighting in Vietnam. Those guys were no pussies. I’m not blamming you, as you are just pointing it out. Clearly that demotivator was uncalled for, and whoever made knows shit about the Korean Army.