Fan death is a widely held belief in South Korea that an electric fan left running overnight in a closed room can cause the death of those inside. Fans sold in Korea are equipped with a timer switch that turns them off after a set number of minutes, which users are frequently urged to set when going to sleep with a fan on.
No one seems to know why this belief persists, given that its position as a medical condition is dubious. There is some speculation that it has its origins in 1970s efforts by the South Korean government to curb energy use. The natural tendency is to write it off as some kind of crackpot belief.
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When I lived in Korea (late 80s), I went to dinner with a friend of mine who taught English and some of her students -- who happened to be doctors. They firmly believed in this "fan death" business, and said air conditioners were even worse because they "removed oxygen" from the air.
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