Gear up with Wearable Technology

(Korean celebrities SNSD Yoonah and Lee Min-ho in advertisement for Korean hiking apparel brand, Eider)

Spring is in the air and that means Koreans will be heading out to one of the many hiking trails that criss-cross the peninsula's mountainous terrain. The Korean appetite for outdoor sports gear has skyrocketed in the last few years. The demand for both domestic and foreign brands grew 4.8 times from 1.2 trillion won in 2006 to 5.8 trillion Won in 2012 (Source: Chosun Ilbo).

I've tried to wrap my head around why, after centuries of hiking through Korea's countryside in everyday clothes, Koreans have started to invest so much in technical outdoor wear. The likely cause I can think of is the wider appeal for outdoor gear as styles become more comfortable, durable and stylish.

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As Korean outdoor apparel becomes trendier, it is also becoming more technologically advanced. Take for example, South Korea's Kolon Glotech Inc. The company has developed a new generation of heated clothing that relies on Heatex Technology, the world's first heat-generating textile.

Normally, electrically heated garments can keep people warm, but they can seriously weigh you down. Kolon Glotech, Inc. has come up with an advanced new fabric that actually creates heat within the textile by using a conductive polymer  instead of depending on heating wires which pose a danger for burns. Moreover, the fabric looks and feels like a regular piece of clothing so it does not reduce comfort.

Heat control? Not a problem. The heating power of the cutting-edge textile can be controlled using your smartphone!  This innovative garment can be connected to a smartphone app, which lets you adjust the heat to high, medium or low. In addition to this wearable functionality, the app is especially convenient for outdoorsy folks by also including GPS tracking, routing and emergency location forwarding.

Now that you know how to dress for the current weather, here's a guide to some of the best places to hike in Korea this spring.

If you know of any other Korean outdoor products with cool technology, please share with us because we'd love to try it out!

About the author by Anna C.

Avid fan of all things Korean whether it be technology, design, art or culture. I am always interested in finding and sharing the hottest innovations and trends originating from Korea. In my spare time you'll find me roaming the streets of Seoul enjoying the beautiful scenes of the city that combines both the traditional and the new.

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