KPop Demon Hunters puts traditional Korean body scrub on tourist to-do list

The global success of the animated film KPop Demon Hunters has spilled over into traditional Korean spa culture: exfoliation treatments offered in public bathhouses.

As the film vividly depicts Korean daily life, the exfoliation ritual is gaining traction among foreign visitors as a uniquely Korean experience, offering both health benefits and skincare appeal.

Since the film’s release in June, travel and activity reservation platform Klook reported a sharp rise in bookings for packages offering experiences of traditional Korean body scrubbing services performed at the sauna.

According to data from Klook, reservations for Korean exfoliation experiences – known as seshin in Korean, meaning body cleaning – rose 11% between June 20 and August 10, compared to the preceding seven-week period.

Sauna ticket bookings in Seoul's Seodaemun District, home to the lively college neighborhood of Hongdae, jumped 57%, while those in Jongno District, a popular tourist destination, rose 15% over the same period.

In response to the growing interest, Klook will roll out new offerings ahead of the upcoming peak travel season, including solo seshin packages tailored for individual travelers.

Bookings for K-pop-related experiences have also soared since the debut of KPop Demon Hunters.

According to Klook, reservations for idol styling sessions jumped 200%, while K-pop dance classes saw a 40% increase. By country, bookings ticked up 20% in Japan, 16% in Hong Kong and 11% in Taiwan.

Tourism experts say that Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, is evolving beyond music, drama and cuisine into Korea’s everyday lifestyle. Global audiences who engage with Korean content are now seeking out real-world experiences.

A Seoul-based K-pop dance class operator said that demand has surged for lessons in the choreography featured in KPop Demon Hunters.

“We’ve had so many requests to learn the dance from the film that we revamped this month’s classes entirely around its soundtrack,” she said. “What’s especially striking is the sharp increase in younger participants – many under the age of 10.”

Klook said that it will tap into the global popularity of Korean content to develop tourism products.

“The success of KPop Demon Hunters has sparked foreign interest not only in Korean pop culture, but also in everyday lifestyle experiences like seshin,” said Lee Jun-ho, head of Klook's Korean operation.

“It’s an encouraging trend, and we’ll continue expanding our offerings to ensure international visitors can enjoy truly unique experiences in Korea.”

Write to Jae-Kwang Ahn at ahnjk@hankyung.com
 


Yeonhee Kim edited this article.