Jjimjilbang Culture

A jjimjilbang has two halves and understanding the split avoids the usual embarrassment. The bathing floor is separated by sex and is entered fully undressed - hot and cold pools, cold plunge, and scrubbing stations, where washing thoroughly while seated before entering any pool is not optional etiquette but the rule. The jjimjil floor is mixed and clothed, in the cotton shorts and shirt handed out at the desk: a common area of themed heat rooms at different temperatures - salt, charcoal, jade, ice - plus a snack bar, a sleeping hall, televisions and often a gym or cinema. Because they are open around the clock and cheap, they function as budget accommodation, as a place for the family to spend a Sunday, and as somewhere to sleep after missing the last metro. The optional add-on is the ttaemiri, a brisk full-body exfoliation by an attendant that visitors either love or never repeat.

What to look for

• The two floors - naked and segregated below, clothed and mixed above.
• The heat rooms - salt, charcoal, jade, ice, at graded temperatures.
• The sleeping hall - mats on a heated floor, open all night.
• The scrub - ttaemiri, optional and thorough.

When to go

Any time; winter is when it makes most sense. Late evening is busiest; overnight carries a surcharge. Tattoos are refused at some establishments - check first.

What to expect

Full nudity on the bathing floor is required and not negotiable. Wash before entering pools. Photography is forbidden throughout. Sleeping halls are shared, lit and noisy - it is cheap, not comfortable.

Nearby

Found in every district; the largest are in Seoul, Busan and Daegu.