Jjimjilbang

Jjimjilbang (Korean: 찜질방; Hanja: 蒸氣房; MR: tchimjilbang; Korean pronunciation: [t͈ɕimdʑilbaŋ], lit. 'poultice room') are bathhouses in South Korea which gained popularity in the 1990s.

They are separated by gender and typically have hot tubs, showers, Korean traditional kiln saunas, and massage tables. Jjimjil is derived from the words meaning heating. In other areas of the building or on other floors there are unisex areas, usually with a snack bar, ondol-heated floor for lounging and sleeping, wide-screen TVs, exercise rooms, ice rooms, heated salt rooms, internet cafe, karaoke bars, and sleeping quarters with bunk beds or sleeping mats. Many of the sleeping rooms have themes or elements to them. Usually jjimjilbang will have various rooms with temperatures to suit guests' preferred relaxing temperatures. Walls can be decorated with woods, minerals, crystals, stones, and metals to make the ambient mood and smell more natural. The elements used have traditional Korean medicinal purposes in the rooms.

Many jjimjilbang are open at all hours and are a popular weekend getaway for South Korean families. Some jjimjilbang allow customers to sleep there overnight. South Korean men, particularly those who work away from their families or stayed out late drinking or working, sleep in jjimjilbang overnight. Theft, usually of smartphones, is occasionally a problem at some jimjilbang.