Is 몸살 medically recognized or a superstition?

My mom has always talked about 몸살 in a hazy, mysterious way. She has told me that the following things can cause it: cleaning a two bedroom apartment by myself, carrying 4 boxes of tile from Home Depot to my car in the parking lot, moving boxes when moving out, and going backpacking. The general sense I get from my mom is that you can get momsal if you lose energy and can’t gain it back.

But I’ve never gotten sick due to any of these activities. A virus occurring from physical activities feels different from my lived experience and doesn’t make sense to me.

Is momsal seen as an unscientifically provable, traditional catch-all term in Korea, or am I just not understanding my mom’s nebulous use of it? Is it a medically used term that has a clear definition? Does the younger generation not believe in it and is it mostly grandmas who talk about it? Sort of like sleeping with your hair wet or being cold making you get a cold.

submitted by /u/carefulabalone
[link] [comments]

Latest News from Korea

Latest Entertainment from Korea

Learn People & History of Korea