A typical press report on this issue runs as follows. An elderly woman named Kim Dal Soon was discovered dead in her room by a neighbour. Now you and I might think that she was dead because old people do things like die. The neighbour noticed that a fan was blowing in the room. And it could eventually lead to paralysis of the heart and lungs.
Similar articles appear every summer when the weather becomes hot and humid.
One theory among Korean observers is that such tales are related to the way electricity is produced in that country by nuclear plants and imported oil. The balance of trade benefits from the perpetuation of the myths that air conditioners and automobiles are responsible for hot weather, and that leaving a fan running while you sleep will kill you. Just remember that the government is only trying to save your life. He won first prize. Then he dropped dead.