Jjimjilbangs (찜질방) are public baths that are commonly found in Korea. The word, "찜질방" is a combination of two words, "찜질" (poultice) and "방" (room). A 찜질방 is separated by gender and consists of not only a variety of hot tubs varying in temperature but also showers, traditional saunas called hanjeungmak (한증막) and massage tables. These days, a 찜질방 will commonly have additional services such as unisex areas consisting of a snack bar, ondol (온돌) or under-heated floors which are designated sleeping and lounging spaces, TVs, exercise rooms, ice rooms, heated salt rooms, PC rooms, karaoke rooms, and much more. Jjimjilbangs are open 24 hours and a common weekend getaway for families as well as an overnight sleeping place if needed. They are enticingly cheap, costing only around 6,000-14,000 won which approximated to around $6-$14 a night.
Right as a person enters a 찜질방, she pays and receives clothing to change into.The clothing is often color coded according to gender. After paying, the person is taken to a changing room separated based on gender where she places her shoes in a small locker. Usually a person would shower first before entering any baths or saunas. In a 찜질방, public nudity is acceptable and a norm as it is, in fact, a bath house. A popular service in a 찜질방 is a scrub by an attendant who will scrub a person’s entire body to remove dead skin. After showering and bathing, a person will usually then head to the communal area to relax, eat, or sleep. A random but interesting cultural trend that is only done in a 찜질방 is wearing a sheep-head towel which is shown below.
Hard boiled eggs are the staple food that can be found in any jjimjilbang
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