I’ve grown very fond of the Korean jimjilbang (찜질방). I visit one almost every month. I love them! Check out my jimjilbang experience in the video below.

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What is a jimjilbang?

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A jimjilbang is a place where Koreans go to unwind and spend time with friends, family, and lovers alike. It reminds me of my local YMCA without the exercise equipment and programs. A local jimjilbang is usually equipped with different sauna rooms, a cold room, steam rooms, whirlpools, a massage room, massage chairs, traditional Chinese medicine techniques such as cupping, a PC Room (an arcade), a convenience store, a restaurant, and many areas to sleep, hang out, watch tv, talk, or do nothing. There are also sleeping rooms. Most jimjilbangs are open 24 hours and are very cheap places to sleep if you have nowhere to go. (That would cost you about 6,000-8,000 won, or under $10.) It’s also common for folks to go when they’ve had a night of drinking. There will often be groups of people (mostly men) trying to find a place to rest their heads between 1-4 a.m., getting some sleep at the local jimjilbang instead of going home.

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The first few times I went to a jimjilbang I had to be brave to conquer the frequent stares. I was usually the only foreigner there and would get looks from everyone. Very direct stares. In the locker room everyone is naked, so I had a tendency to hide because it made me uncomfortable to know everyone was staring. When I first started going, I hadn’t yet had Lasik eye surgery. I would go without glasses or contacts and couldn’t really see. It was easier not being able to see when people were looking at me, though I could still feel their curious looks. Each time I went, it became easier. One time I decided to sleep overnight, just to experience sleeping in a jimjilbang, because it’s quite common. I might not do that again. It was loud and bright. I found it hard to relax as people were walking around or snoring loudly.

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Recently, I’ve been going to the jimjilbang with a few friends and that has changed my experience from that of a solo visitor to a communal sisterhood ritual. Going with company changes the feel of the jimjilbang experience and I now really enjoy going both on my own and with a bunch of friends. It’s a spa day!

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During your time sweating and getting massages, if you get hungry, it’s common to have steamed eggs and a fortified soy drink. The eggs are steamed in their shell in a rice cooker. The result is like a hard-boiled egg with a slightly gummy texture, with the white part of the egg a light brown colour. This new taste really grew on me!

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Cupping is one of the treatment services offered, along with other types of massages and traditional Chinese medical techniques. I decided to try cupping with a friend who was also curious about it. The practitioner heats ceramic cups with a blowtorch and then places them on strategic points on your back. It’s a very strange sensation of certain spots being pulled up on your back by the suction. The suction created by the heated cups on your back is meant to draw any impurities in your blood (“bad blood”) to the surface, to be released by your sweat. The end result is a back with many circular bruises. Apparently, the darker circles are a sign that the cupping session worked well.

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At the time, I really didn’t have any pain or discomfort. So, I couldn’t suggest or recommend it for someone who is having aches and pain. However, the friend who tried it with me was experiencing some back pain prior to cupping and afterwards, found that the pain disappeared.

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You can read more about cupping here.

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Once you’ve finished your time in the saunas, it’s common to enjoy the steam room and cold pools to open your pores. There are also huge whirlpools where women often sit and relax. Those aren’t my favourite parts of the jimjilbang. My favourite part has now become the scrub down. There are little ajummas (아줌마) a respectful Korean word for a married, or marriage-aged, woman) who wear lacy panties and bras. They are equipped with scrub gloves and soap and invite you to a plastic covered table. You lie down and the ajummas scrub off layers of dead skin. If you thought you knew how to scrub your skin, you have NO CLUE. These tough women scrub you all over, in every crevice, without batting an eye. The first time I was very shy but it was really relaxing. It’s a bit disturbing to see all your dead dirty skin on the table. But, whooooooooa: my skin feels the softest it’s ever felt. It’s worth the 20,000 won ($25) for a 20- to 30-minute scrub.

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Now, I am a regular at the Ga Gyeong Leisure Town Jimjilbang. I love going solo or with friends. It’s now a part of my regular routine here in Korea. Jimjilbangs are spread all over the world. (Yes, there are some in Toronto!) Please check it out if you want a taste of Korean culture.

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I love the jimjilbang! If you have a chance to try it, please do! It’s worth it.

 

“You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear. Do it! Develop an appreciation for the present moment. Seize every second of your life and savor it.”

- Wayne Dyer