Spa pensions: Koreans embrace a new way to endure freezing winters

Thu, 03/08/2012 - 23:00 — Anonymous by Jiyeon LeeRelaxation or stress
relief in Korea commonly comes in the form of "sweating things out."
Lying on hot floors or eating a tongue-burning spicy dish of soup works fine,
but for many, regardless of the weather, there is no better way to de-stress
than sitting in a steaming hot tub and then getting scrubbed within an inch
of their lives. The communal bath culture, which originated in the early 20th
century with the introduction of public bathhouses, still remains popular --
people visit bathhouses with their children, friends and neighbors, catching
up in the sauna while enjoying a day of intense scrubbing and grooming.
Recently, this old passion for a hot dip started to move away from the
neighborhood public bathhouse to small lodging facilities called "spa
pensions," combining private bathing facilities with popular travel spots
around the country. Music performances and weddings also take place at
Yonaluky. Spa pension manager Kim Min Seong Jae, who runs what he calls a
healing center one hour's drive north of Seoul, believes that people now want
a more personalized experience in their own enclosed space rather than taking
a splash in communal baths.read more