A country where luxury boutiques and hot baths coexist under one roof. CNN has taken a look beneath the surface of Korean bathing culture through a Busan jjimjilbang.
In an article headlined "Getting naked in the world's largest department store," published on the 16th local time, the U.S. broadcaster spotlighted Spa Land inside Shinsegae Centum City in Busan's Haeundae district. The sight of a jjimjilbang housed within the world's largest department store drew the attention of American readers.
CNN contrasted the two countries' cultures, noting that while an American mall is a place to buy pizza and clothes, a large Korean shopping complex offers the experience of a jjimjilbang. The article described how Spa Land appears after passing through a black glass door set among the luxury stores.
The report also explained in detail how a jjimjilbang works. Visitors undress in gender-separated areas and bathe in hot tubs before moving to shared, mixed-gender heated rooms. It also introduced ttaemiri, Korea's distinctive full-body scrubbing service. The reporter said that although it may feel unfamiliar at first, the attendants provide the service skillfully and efficiently.
The historical roots go back to the Joseon Dynasty. Lee In-hye, an expert on bathing culture, told CNN that a culture of warming and resting the body — or treating illness — in a hot room existed even during the Joseon Dynasty, explaining that the ondol underfloor heating of traditional homes became the prototype for the modern jjimjilbang.
The modern jjimjilbang is said to have originated with women in Busan who used the heated floors of communal buildings like ondol. It later spread nationwide, including to Seoul, and entered the regulated system in July 1995 when the government established legal standards.
Today's jjimjilbang has grown beyond a simple bathing facility. Thousands now operate across the country, evolving into complex spaces equipped with saunas, beauty services, restaurants, cafes, nail salons and sleeping rooms. Various rooms use materials such as salt, red clay and charcoal. Spa Land has 22 baths at different temperatures and an outdoor foot bath.
CNN also focused on the communal culture of the jjimjilbang. It observed that women of several generations visit together to talk, style each other's hair and help support one another, and said a jjimjilbang can be a space that reflects a positive view of the body.
Accessibility for foreigners has also improved. Citing a Spa Land manager, CNN reported that on weekdays the ratio of domestic to foreign visitors is roughly half and half. Admission is 20,000 won (about $14).
CNN added that, following K-pop, K-food and K-beauty, the jjimjilbang is establishing itself as a place to experience Korean culture firsthand, and that the trend is becoming more pronounced as the number of foreign tourists visiting Busan, not just Seoul, grows.
