Understanding Kdrama: Jjimjilbang Or Sauna Scenes

There are enough sauna scenes in kdramas that serious drama fans have probably seen someone get scrubbed in one, wear the distinctive sauna head towel or relax in a communal jjimjilbang room.

One of the more memorable and funnier sauna scenes took place when Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won visited the gender-segregated part of a sauna after they switched bodies in "Secret Garden."

Another fun sauna scene took place when Lee Min Ho was surprised by the intense way Gu Hye Sun's father scrubbed his back in "Boys Over Flowers."

Kim Bum and Park Jin Hee spend a romantic night together in a sauna in "The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry," or at least until she runs into her fiancée. Yoon Sang Hyun was described as the son of a sauna owner in "I Hear Your Voice" and in some scenes you can see him dispensing fresh towels. Characters in the dramas "I Do, I Do" and "Personal Taste" temporarily live in saunas when they have nowhere else to go.

Such scenes may lead you to suspect that South Korean saunas or jjimjilbangs are nothing like the saunas or gyms in other countries.

And you would be right. A jjimjilbang is a lot more. These large gender-segregated public bathhouses have hot tubs, showers, kiln saunas and massage tables. But that's not all. There are also unisex areas with snack bars, heated lounging floors, exercise rooms, karaoke rooms, Internet cafes and sleeping areas. Open 24 hours a day, they are popular with Korean families and can also be a great place for long-distance commuters to sleep off a night of drinking with coworkers.

You cannot enter some jjimjilbang areas with any clothes on. Gender-segregated bathing areas are no-dress zones for sanitary reasons. In such bathing areas, there are showers and pools of varying temperatures. These areas also include different types of themed saunas, some with temperatures that are extreme if you are not used to them.

Before you enter the co-ed sauna areas, you put on a t-shirt and shorts. In these areas, you can get a massage, have a snack and get your nails done, then relax or sleep.

Mogyoktangs are public bathhouses with lockers, showers, steam rooms and the option to get a massage. They are not usually open 24 hours a day and are either for men or women.

Enjoying jjimjilbangs and mogyoktangs is an experience that many kdrama lovers want to try when they visit Korea.