Here's An Inside Look At Korean Bathhouses

The jjimjilbang (bathhouse) in Korea is the quintessential cultural pivot around which daily life rotates. Dotting the peninsula are hundreds, if not thousands, of bathhouses, where young families, business executives, students and tuckered-out nation-builders go to discuss important family matters, social issues, politics, or to simply soothe themselves into a state of devil-may-care rest and relaxation.

For the foreign visitor, a trip to a bathhouse is an important stop on any itinerary, regardless of time of year. It is a place where you can enjoy pure and unadulterated pampering, while giving you an insight into Korean customs and traditions. It is also a place for social bonding and homogenisation, and this is felt no sooner than when you surrender your shoes in a locker at the entrance.