Typhoon Bolaven, the largest storm to hit the Korean Peninsula in a decade, tore through the southern part of South Korea late Tuesday, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its path.

While some people in China wandered out with camera in hand to photograph the typhoon as it was nearing its end, one South Korean reporter has gained national recognition for doing a live story during the peak of the storm with a rope tied around his body to keep him from being swept into the sea.

On the morning of August 28, Koreans watched as cable television station JTBC reporter Gwak Jae-min struggling to stand with microphone in hand at the coastal town of Mokpo, the ocean raging violently in the background.

“As you can see…the winds are incredibly strong. Traffic lights have fallen over, broken glass is scattered everywhere; it is not safe to be outside,” reports Gwak, a single strand of rope tied around his body for support.

Korean viewers were impressed by Kwak’s dedication to his job, but many pointed out it was irresponsible of the television station to allow him and the cameraman to go out in such dangerous conditions.

This isn’t the first time a South Korean weather reporter has made the news for their audacity: in January 2010, Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reporter Park Dae-ki became an internet sensation after he appeared on camera in the middle of a snowstorm so strong that his face and shoulders were covered in snow by the end of his report, earning him the nickname “Snowman Reporter.”

While it’s unclear if Gwak was hoping to become the next Park Dae-ki when he ventured out into the typhoon, it seems that extreme weather journalism has become a trend in South Korea as two more reporters in Jeju-si and Seoul similarly rushed out into Typhoon Bolaven to perform similar stunts.

So why is it Koreans seem so intent on putting their life on the line to report the weather? We think part of it has to do with the fact that they just look so damn good doing it.

Even South Korean rapper Psy seems to have taken cues from Park Dae-ki with his internationally acclaimed music video Gangnam Style.

Don’t believe us? Check out the evidence below:

Source: KR News