Getting naked in the world’s largest department store | CNN

EDITOR’S NOTE: This CNN Travel series may have adjacent ads by the country it highlights. CNN retains full editorial control over subject matter, reporting and frequency of the articles and videos, in compliance with our policy. In the US, a mall is a place to get a slice of pizza from Sbarro and buy some T-shirts at the Gap. But in South Korea, it’s a place where you can experience a jjimjilbang, an element of the country’s unique spa culture. Premium spas can be found tucked inside the country’s many modern mega-malls, but none are quite as memorable as the one waiting in the southern coastal city of Busan. This brilliant silver and white structure could easily be mistaken for a high-end condo building or a design museum. But Shinsegae Centum City is actually the world’s largest department store, clocking in at 3.16 million square feet. Past the Chanel makeup counter and dizzying rows of designer handbags is a black glass door, where shoppers and locals alike pour into Spa Land. This isn’t a place to sit in a private room and get pampered. Jjimjilbangs – comprised of two Korean words, jjimjil (heated therapy) and bang (room) – are like a Japanese onsen crossed wi