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I Was a Little Surprised in the Lounge
July 21, 2026, 2 PM, a charcoal sauna jjimjilbang in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. It was a weekday afternoon, but 36 people were lounging around in sauna suits. Among them, 21 were in their 20s and 30s. This is just a snapshot of one facility at a specific time, not a statistic that represents overall jjimjilbang trends, but on that day, younger users made up more than half. With over half of the 30-something users being young adults, it felt like, at least at this facility during this time slot, the jjimjilbang was no longer exclusively for the middle-aged and elderly.
Kim Geum-sook (68), who’s worked at the snack bar here for about 16 years, says she feels the shift too.
“Before, maybe one or two out of ten customers were young. These days, it’s more like eight.”
Kim added, “I’ve never seen so many young people come in like this before,” noting that while many jjimjilbangs disappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic, younger users are now bringing some life back to the industry. That’s just her take based on years on the ground, but when someone who’s held the same spot for so long notices a change, it’s hard to brush off even without hard numbers.
The Era of the Sauna Bag as Content
The shift shows up online too. So-called ‘sauna influencers’ have popped up, touring saunas in Korea and abroad to share facility reviews and experiences. You’ll see posts about visiting saunas in Japan, along with recommendations for sauna hats and bath bags that fit a personal vibe.
YouTube’s ‘What’s in My Bag’ format has morphed into ‘What’s in My Sauna Bag.’ Users pull out skincare products or sauna recovery gear from their bath bags one by one. The bag itself has become content. Back in the day, a bath bag might’ve held just a scrub towel and soap. Now, it’s filled with branded, personal items that turn the bag into a tool for self-expression.
How people use saunas has diversified too. Premium solo saunas and one-on-one body scrub shops have emerged, alongside sauna meetups where strangers gather. Some running crews hit a sauna as a group after a run to chill out. Quiet personal recovery and social mingling are happening side by side within the same sauna culture. Whether you want a solo, peaceful day or a hangout with others, the same sauna can cover both needs.
It’s Not Nostalgia, It’s a New Experience
At first, you might think younger generations are returning to saunas because of childhood memories tagging along with parents to bathhouses. But Mok Ji-soo (53), publisher of the Busan-based bathhouse magazine ‘Jibap Mokyoktang,’ sees it a bit differently.
Mok explains that young people who never went to bathhouses with their parents still enjoy saunas. For them, it’s not a familiar memory but a new experience or activity they consume. If the parent generation saw bathhouses as a routine part of daily life, the current young generation finds the unfamiliarity of the space itself appealing.
The users I met on-site echoed that. Seo Ji-yeon (30) had never been to a sauna with family or friends but came after seeing a viral post on social media. She said she was amazed she could even eat inside the jjimjilbang. Park So-yeon (31) described saunas as “a new experience and a unique retro vibe” for a generation that didn’t visit bathhouses with family every weekend. Lining up both stories, the reasons vary, but there’s a common pull: it’s something they’ve never done before.
A Space to Step Away from Your Phone
The sauna-focused Instagram account ‘Godoghan Sauner’ (@godoghan_sauner), with about 120,000 followers, attributes the young crowd’s interest to a “demand for recovery.”
“Saunas are no longer just a place to bathe—they’ve become a space for recovery.”
The idea is that more people want to put down their smartphones and fully rest, away from a busy life. The high-heat jjimjilbang naturally discourages phone use. In a daily grind where you’re glued to a screen, spaces that physically force you to keep your distance from your phone have become surprisingly rare, which backs up this demand.
That said, it’s not impossible to use your phone in a high-heat room. But it can push past the recommended operating temperature for most smartphones, risking overheating or damage to the battery or device. Apple advises an operating range of 0–35°C for iPhones, and Samsung also recommends against using phones in hot, humid environments like saunas. So, it’s safer to leave your phone outside when you head into the hot room.
The Korea Times and The Hankook Ilbo note this shift isn’t limited to Korea, citing Bloomberg’s ‘New Sauna Wave’ coverage. In the U.S., sensory, community-focused bath and sauna facilities are gaining attention as new social spaces replacing cafes, bars, and clubs.
Good to Know Before You Go
Korean jjimjilbangs usually split into two zones. Bathhouses are gender-separated, and you generally don’t wear swimsuits. The jjimjilbang and lounge, where you wear sauna suits, are shared spaces for both genders. Since layouts and rules vary by facility, it’s a good idea to check the signs when you enter.
Don’t try to tough it out in the high-heat room from the start. Beginners should start short, around 5–10 minutes, and it’s generally recommended not to exceed 15–20 minutes at a time. Stay hydrated, and if you feel dizzy, nauseous, headachy, or have a pounding heart, get out immediately. Avoid using it after drinking, and if you have conditions like cardiovascular issues or low blood pressure, consult a doctor first.
Prices vary widely between neighborhood bathhouses, large jjimjilbangs, and premium saunas. Extra services like body scrubs are often charged separately. Check the hours, late-night surcharges, and whether towels and sauna suits are included before you visit. There’s no guarantee a specific time will always be quiet, so if you want a peaceful experience, you can call the facility to ask about crowd levels.
And if it’s your first time at a Korean jjimjilbang, try the sikhye (sweet rice drink) and grilled eggs from the snack bar. Sitting on a wooden platform after a hot room, sipping cold sikhye—that moment is part of the long-standing jjimjilbang culture.
Sources: The Hankook Ilbo ‘Want to Peek Into My Bath Bag? Why Saunas Became Hip Among 2030s’, July 24, 2026; The Korea Times ‘Why Saunas Are Suddenly Cool Among Young Koreans’, July 28, 2026 (including re-cited Bloomberg coverage); Harvard Health Publishing sauna safety guidelines; Apple iPhone recommended operating temperature and handling guide; Samsung Galaxy guidance on high-temperature, high-humidity environments.
