You Walk Into a Jjimjilbang—When Are You Supposed to Take Your Clothes Off?

People wearing jjimjilbang clothes relaxing on mats in a shared jjimjilbang area.

When you first walk into a jjimjilbang, the shoe lockers and keys catch your eye before the heated rooms do.

Should you put your shoes away first? Where do you pay? Is the key in your hand for the shoe locker or the locker where you put your clothes?

Then they hand you a set of clothes to wear inside, and another question comes up.

Are you supposed to put these on now?

If you came expecting a sauna or spa, the order may already be a little different from what you had in mind.

A jjimjilbang has two areas where you dress completely differently: a gender-separated bathing area and a shared area where men and women relax together in the clothes provided by the facility.

You do not wear clothes or a swimsuit in the bathing area. When you go to the shared area, you wear the clothes you received at the entrance.

It sounds simple when you hear it explained.

But after you pass the shoe lockers and reach the locker room, you still have those clothes in your hands.

That is when you may hesitate again.

I'm going to the baths—do I put these on first, or do I take everything off now?

At the Entrance, Start with Your Shoes and Key

What you do first at the entrance varies a little from one jjimjilbang to another.

At some places, you pay at the front desk or a self-service kiosk before putting your shoes in a locker. At others, you put your shoes away first and then go to the counter.

After you pay, you will usually receive a short-sleeved top and shorts to wear inside, along with a key or electronic wristband.

How the key or wristband works also varies by facility. Rather than guessing what it is for by looking at it, check the number and follow the signs or any instructions from staff.

In any case, you do not wear your outdoor shoes farther inside. Leave them in a shoe locker near the entrance before moving on.

Once your shoes are put away and you head farther in, you'll come to separate men's and women's locker rooms.

If you came with someone of a different gender, this is where you split up for a while.

If You're Going to the Baths, Don't Put On the Provided Clothes Yet

Once you enter the locker room, use your key or wristband to open a locker.

Put your belongings inside. One thing is still in your hands.

The clothes you were given at the entrance.

I'm going to the baths—do I put these on first?

If you plan to bathe first, don't put them on yet. Leave them in your locker too.

Take off all the clothes you came in wearing, put them in the locker, and head into the bathing area without a swimsuit.

And just because you can see the baths doesn't mean you get in right away.

Wash first, then get into the baths.

If you're used to spas where people wear swimsuits, it may feel unfamiliar to take off all your clothes in front of other people and enter the bathing area with nothing on.

When you're finished bathing, go back to the locker room.

Dry off, then take the provided clothes out of your locker and put them on.

If you came with someone of a different gender, you can meet again in the shared area after you have both finished bathing and changed into the provided clothes.

If you don't want to bathe first, you don't have to go into the baths. Change out of the clothes you came in wearing, put on the provided clothes in the locker room, and head straight to the shared area.

Because people are unclothed in the bathing area, don't take photos or videos there.

The Atmosphere Changes in the Shared Area

Once you put on the provided clothes and enter the shared area, the scene is different from what you just saw in the bathing area.

Men and women are all wearing similar short-sleeved tops and shorts. Families, friends, and couples who separated to use the bathing areas can spend time together again here.

And if you've been looking for the heated rooms, something unexpected may catch your eye first.

People are sitting on the floor—or even lying down.

Some are leaning against the wall, while others are stretched out on the floor.

If you're not used to seeing people relax this comfortably on the floor of a public space, it may look a little unusual at first.

But at a jjimjilbang, resting outside the heated rooms is just as natural as spending time inside them.

If you go into a heated room and it feels hotter than you expected, you can simply step out. You can drink some water and rest on the floor for a while, then try another room if you feel better. If you don't want to go into any more rooms, you can stop there.

Since many people around you are resting, keep your voice down when you talk and avoid playing audio loudly on your phone.

Some people bathe and leave, while others change into the provided clothes and spend quite a while relaxing here.

Just because it's your first visit doesn't mean you have to follow a set routine from start to finish.




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