Alright, to be clear, I’m addicted to jjimjilbangs/public baths. Sometimes I wonder if I should just move into one and stop paying rent on my house. It took me about nine months to get up the nerve to give one a try, and immediately felt like it was nine months of my life I had wasted. Maybe I’m weird, but I can’t see why anyone would say no to a 9,000 spa day. I encourage everyone to give it a try at least once. However, jjimjilbangs are very different from western spas and there are some things that people should prepare themselves for in advance. For more tips check out our blog post on conquering culture shock.
Thunder Mountain Leisure Pia
0316825394
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 펑택시 안증읍 안현로 서8길 57제2종근린생 활시설
Jimjilbang with options for soaking and resting. Bath access is 6,000 won, bath+steam is 7,000.
Nudity in the 목욕탕 (Mokyoktang)
목욕탕 (Mokyoktang) are the bathing areas of a jjimjilbang that are segregated by gender. Yes, you are going to need to strut around in your birthday suit. You are going to sit, buck naked next to complete strangers. Since this is a family affair, those strangers kids might climb up into your lap and then decided to use your naked body as a water slide for the next half hour. However, this is a worst case scenario and does not happen often, but it might, so be kind and understanding if it does.
You are also going to see children scrubbing their elders backs and friends washing each others hair. You are going to see all kinds of people being perfectly at ease with nudity. They might even look at you a bit because, quite frankly, you look different and it’s no big deal. So strike a pose and flash a smile. Nobody cares. Being naked ain’t no thing here.
Prison Uniform
Ok not really a prison uniform – but kind of. In order to go into the shared section of the facilities with saunas and lounging areas you will need to wear the provided shorts and t-shirt. They are not fashionable and will be a bit unflattering, but give them a try. You might just like it. These days I relish my prison uniform time. It makes me feel quit sassy and carefree. If you are outside of the sizes generally served in Korea you also have the option of bringing a CLEAN set of clothes from home (shorts and t-shirt).
Floor sleeping
That’s right, if you really want to maximize the relaxation you are going to curl up on the floor, put your head on a block and take a nap between saunas. It’s going to be uncomfortable the first few times because thy buttocks have been clenched (literally, not joking here) tight for so long. Your hips are actually entirely out of alignment and it makes floors uncomfortable. It’s not the floors fault, it’s the amount of time we spend sitting on our padded chairs and couches. So work on relaxing, eventually it will feel delightful.
Sleeping next to strangers
“Oh, that’s just not safe” you might think to yourself. Relax, sleeping next to strangers is a very common part of the jjimjilbang experience. You can even spend the night if you are feeling adventurous and need a super inexpensive place to stay. Most people will be too busy with their own nap time or chatting with friends to notice how you look in your prison uniform.
Crawling into an oven
There might be saunas that are basically human size pizza ovens that require you get down and crawl through a small tunnel into a small cavernous space where you will once again, lay on the floor with strangers in blazing heat. This might sound like a daunting experience, but give it a try. Get down, crawl into that oven and sweat out every last drop of stress.
세신 (Seshin)
AKA Strangers Scrubbing Your Naked Body. Optional. “Whaattt?” Ok, don’t panic. It’s optional. Not everyone is ready for this on the first try, but if you level up to this you won’t be sorry. After the ladies (for women) or men (for dudes) scrub you down you will have the skin of a newborn baby and will be horrified at the amount of dead skin that has just been removed from your apparently filthy body. While some jjimjilbangs will charge this service to your wristband, most are cash only, so be prepared.
Finally, remember to treat yourself with kindness, especially if jjimjilbangs are far outside of your comfort zone. Be proud of yourself for trying something new and experiencing such a central part of Korean culture.
