I work in South Korea. Everyone here wears masks even when they are outside. I've seen joggers running with masks. It's crazy. You can sit inside a coffee shop without one, but God forbid you get seen outdoors without one. It's the most insane version of group think I've ever seen. My boss' dad was a politician, she knows how they can lie and previously I appreciated her level of critical thinking. But now... I refuse to wear a mask outside. She saw me on the street and asked me to put it on. i refused. I was reamed out for being unscientific and reckless. I didn't budge. Even if I thought masks work, I do not see the benefit of wearing one 24/7.
Just needed to vent a little. I'm leaving Korea soon, so quiting my job atm is not an option. Like I said, just needed to vent.
Part of it is probably the focus on community, rather than the individual. The Korean Peninsula is homogeneous, and many families are tied together through blood or marriage. This sense of closeness, combined with a heavy emphasis on personal responsibility, results in a group mentality, a hive mind of sorts, that if just one person does a repetitive action, everyone else will fall in line. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, after all.