Jamsil Herbal Spa: 90 Minutes Tailored to You

At most spas you choose a menu item and get the same sequence as everyone else. Yeoyongguk works the other way round: they look at you first, then choose the ingredients.

Constitution check — a diagnostic kit made from around 100 fermented medicinal plants, plus an O-Ring test, to read your constitution and how your body is that day. The herbs, aroma oils, tools and hand techniques change with the result. A guide to the constitution types is available in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese.

Hwasa doksul — Yeoyongguk's own technique of sculpting the face with ceramics (hwasa) fired from white, celadon and onggi clay. The warmth and surface of the ceramic, rather than the hand, follows the contours of your face.

Bangjja gua sha — gua sha with Korean bronze, the same alloy used for traditional tableware, to work circulation in the scalp and body. Many courses end with the scalp.

Afterwards you're told which foods suit your type and which to go easy on. The name comes from a Joseon-era novel, Yeoyongguk-jeon, and the spa has run from the same spot since 2008. It is listed in the Korea Tourism Organization's 88 Wellness Picks and Seoul's 100 Beauty & Wellness spots.

· Yeoyong Premium, 90 min, 198,000 KRW ★signature — back and leg care with aroma hot stones → deep cleansing → hwasa doksul → facial → décolleté → herbal mask → constitution tea. If it's your first time, this one
· Yeoyong Special, 70 min, 130,000 — face only. Deep cleansing → hwasa doksul → facial → décolleté → herbal mask
· Goddess Body, 70 min, 180,000 — herbal foot bath → full-body aroma → hot stones → hwasa doksul
· Goddess Body, 100 min, 250,000 — the above plus bangjja gua sha scalp care
· Yeoyong Goddess, 120 min, 270,000 — full body and face in one session
· Yeoyong Goddess, 160 min, 350,000 — the 120 plus abdominal care and a herbal foot bath
· Yeoyong Goddess, 180 min, 550,000 — the top course, with a five-element check, herbal spa, inner-beauty health food and a constitution aroma gift

Prices are shop prices including VAT. Course names and descriptions are the shop's own and are not a promise that any condition will improve. Every care room is private with its own door (single and double), and the spa takes up to five guests at a time. If you'd like to be treated together, say so in the booking note.

Same neighbourhood, different mood. Hanbang Spa Jamsil is a small place built around foot baths and head spas, and you can drop in late after Lotte World or a baseball game (10:00 to 2am).

· Foot bath + head spa + your choice of neck, shoulders, back or feet, 80 min, 100,000 KRW
· Herbal head spa, 40 min, 60,000
· Ear care with an endoscope, 30 min, 50,000

A Chinese-speaking therapist is on staff; Japanese is handled with a translation app. A few minutes on foot from Jamsilsaenae Station, 4th floor on Baekjegobun-ro 7-gil. There is no constitution check here, so rather than expecting the same thing from the word "hanbang", think of it as "unwind at night, then back to the hotel".

For a closer comparison of Jamsil's head spas, see "More to read" below.

Yeoyongguk is about 500 m on foot from Exit 9 of Sports Complex Station (Lines 2 and 9), or 7 minutes from Jamsilsaenae Station, on the 2nd floor of the Heungseong Building. Seokchon Lake is about a 10-minute walk. It shares a neighbourhood with Lotte World Mall and Lotte World, so "treatment in the morning, park in the afternoon" or "lake walk, lunch, then treatment" both work.

Hours — Mon–Fri 10:00–21:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00. The last booking is 18:00, so if you want to combine it with the park, a morning session fits better than a late one. Closed only on Seollal and Chuseok day.

Arriving — come about 10 minutes early; if you're more than 20 minutes late the session may not be possible. Call the spa (02-412-0100) if you're running behind. Since there's a constitution check, it's better not to come straight after a big meal.

By car — free parking on the building's ground floor (behind the main entrance). Saemaul Market and Jamsil Baseball Stadium are nearby.

1. Open the shop's page on LUWEI → Yeoyongguk Korean Herbal Spa https://luwei.kr/places/yeoyongguk-hanbang-spa-jamsil
2. Under "Book", choose a course, date and time
3. Pay by foreign card (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay, AMEX)
4. When the shop accepts, you get a confirmation email. If the shop doesn't reply in time, the booking is cancelled automatically with a full refund

Cancelling — full refund up to 24 hours before; after that, the shop's own refund rate applies, shown on the booking screen.

A few lines for the day:
오늘 처음이에요. (o-neul cheo-eum-i-e-yo) — It's my first time.
둘이 같이 받고 싶어요. (dul-i ga-chi bat-go si-peo-yo) — We'd like to be treated together.
여기가 좀 아파요. (yeo-gi-ga jom a-pa-yo) — This spot hurts a little.
조금 더 약하게 해주세요. (jo-geum deo yak-ha-ge hae-ju-se-yo) — A little gentler, please.

Japanese is spoken at Yeoyongguk, and basic English is fine. LUWEI also helps with bookings for free (by message only, no phone calls).

Head spas in Jamsil, after Lotte World → https://luwei.kr/guides/jamsil-head-spa-after-lotte-world

Seoul couple spas: same room, together → https://luwei.kr/guides/seoul-couple-spa-anniversary-private-room

Seoul's premium head spas: four editor picks → https://luwei.kr/guides/seoul-premium-head-spa-editors-picks