Jimjillbang: The Korean Public Bath

My artistic interpretation of the jimjillbang symbol. These symbols are all over Korea and they indicate a jimjillbang is near.

Jimjillbangs (찜질방) are Korean public bathing houses. As a person who loves the spa, but rarely indulges in such lavishness, I found this inexpensive Korean recreation enticing. Although I am a pro-jimjillbanger now, my first excursion was a little confusing. I hope the following piece will help make your first time getting naked and bathing with, possibly, 100+ others a positive experience.

Jimjillbang means hot-water-room. However, it's much more than that. They have baths, showers, massage tables, saunas, steam rooms, and mud rooms in what is called a mok-yok-tang. The term Jimjillbang actually refers to the building which usually has a bathing floor, a game floor, an eatery, and a sleeping area*. Men and women are separated and they bathe/sleep separately. Koreans are familial. Middle-aged women take their old mothers and help them bath and relax. Young mothers take their babies and let them splash around with their siblings. Teenagers go with their friends** and I always find that we foreigners are welcomed in a spirit of kinship.

*Travellers on a budget take note of this inexpensive option for shelter over night.

**While discussing pastimes in conversation class one of my students said he enjoyed showering with his friends. Although I was initially taken aback by this comment, I now believe he was referring to visiting the jimjillbang.

Etiquette & Materials: Come Prepared

My beautiful blue jimjillbang basket

Mok-yok-tangs are for bathing. Of course, you will also be indulging in mineral baths and saunas and perhaps, if you are adventurous, a massage. But firstly, in order to keep the environment pure and chlorine free, you should get clean. Although communal soap is provided, you may want to bring your personal favourite, natural, organic, handmade soap. You may also need shampoo, conditioner, a toothbrush & toothpaste, perhaps a facial mask, foot scrubbers are always nice, a razor, a loufa, a comb, and something nice to drink like juice or milk* (water is provided). Worried about trucking all these things around and then packing them up all wet to go home? Never fear. Since this is such a prominent part of Korea culture plastic baskets are made especially to tote around your jimjillbang items.

* Milk is not just delicious it is also great for your skin. I have observed jimjillbangers filling their basins with milk and doing a body scrub with it. 

Arrival

Say “mok-yok-tang” and the clerk will know you are only using the baths and will not charge you the additional sleeping fee or give you lounge clothes. If you choose to spend the night and don't speak Korean you can indicate that by making sleeping gestures and they should get the idea.

In either case, you will be given a wrist band for your locker. Women are given 2 small towels and men are given one. On my first visit, I made the mistake of going all the way to my locker...shoes in hand. I was followed by a head shaking attendant who proceeded to show me where I should have parted with them. Now that you are informed this should be pretty obvious...

Now take your clothes off, stow them in your locker, and get ready to bathe. If it's not too busy you should be able to get a sitting shower. These go fast. On a busy Sunday, if you arrive at peak times, you may be stuck standing: this is not as relaxing.

If there is a free sitting shower stool, wash it off with the communal soap. Scrub your skin. Shampoo and condition your hair. Get nice and clean so you don't contaminate the baths.

Now For The Good Part

At the Jimjillbang in our town I like to start off in the big hot tub. You can sit on the outside ledges or move in and splash around in the jets. Next, I usually go to the cold tub. This is a deep bath with powerful jets and really cold water pouring down from the ceiling. It is very refreshing after 10 minutes in the hot tub. After getting cooled off, I move to the really hot tub: It's smaller, hotter, and jet-less. It's scalding and, if you're like me, you will turn a fresh-out-of-the-pot-lobstery red. This is, at first, painful; but it gets better, and eventually it should become almost bearable, even enjoyable. I have been told this bath is very good for women. Moving back and forth from cold tub to hot tub is similar to a sitz bath which encourages the blood to flow in therapeutic ways. It is relaxing to follow this up with a more temperate bath.

After the baths, I enjoy the saunas. There is a marble one where you can lie or nap on the warm stone floor before moving to the so-hot-it-may-kill-you wooden benched sauna. Please be sure to rinse off after each visit.

Post-sauna is a great time to exfoliate: your skin will be very soft and any dead pieces will be easily scrubbed away. Korean women scrub the crap out of each other: They take exfoliation seriously, painfully seriously. Someone may even offer to give your back a scrub - bare in mind - the philosophy is: "I scrub your back, you scrub mine".

Getting Ready

Jimjillbangs are great places to get ready for a night out. There are scales, mirrors, hairdryers, straighteners, curling irons, combs, brushes, q-tips, cotton swabs, lotions, and hair products. You can also take your own beautifying equipment*. Of course, if you are heading home you can simply throw in the towel, get dressed, return your bracelet lock, and go on your way.

* For you men: My sources tell me that aftershave, refreshing skin lotion, and hair gel are provided.

Jimjillbangs are one of my favourite aspects of Korean culture. They provide an easy, inexpensive, and enjoyable way to relax after a long hard day at school. A trip to the jimillbang will set you back 5000 won (under 5 dollars CAD) and you can stay as long as you wish.

My Favourite Jimjillbang Story

Korean Hospitality: We are family

For our first visit to Seoul, we decided to stay the night at a very famous JimJillbang near Yongsan Station (Korea's Grand Central). This place is called Yongsan Dragon Hill Spa. I can't recommend this place enough, especially if you live outside of Seoul and need a cheap place to spend the night. We arrived with a group of friends late Saturday night (after 2:00am). For 12000 won(under 12 dollars CAD) we were provided with a place to sleep and a lovely way to wind down after a long night.

The place was packed. I loved the idea of sleeping in a room with grandmothers, mothers, babies, teenagers, and those in the gaps between. It really seemed like Korea was one big family. And although sleeping in a room with a group of strangers didn't bother me, being in anything other than 100% darkness did.

Struggling to find something to block out the light, I saw a lady and, in her hand, a mask. I approached her and, in broken Korean combined with gestures, asked her where one could purchase such a coveted item. Without hesitating she offered me her own. I tried to explain that I just wanted to buy one. A young bilingual girl nearby explained to me that the lady wanted to give me her mask “so you can sleep well – it is a gift”.

I love Koreans and I still sleep with that lovely mask and memory every night.