Fan Death (S. Korea). The legend states that an electric fan, if left running overnight in a closed room, can result in the death of those inside. This belief also extends to air conditioners and the fans in cars...Fans manufactured and 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...The legend is remarkably resilient, and is accepted even by many Korean medical professionals.