Jueul Hot Springs in the 1930s was “a world in itself.” Robert Neff Collection

Over the past couple of decades, saunas (jjimjilbang), spas and hot springs have become popular attractions for foreign tourists. North Korea has a large number of hot springs, and many of them have interesting histories centered around healing. One such place is Jangdol Hot Spring, which traces its history back to an ancient legend involving a skylark (jangdolsae) with a broken leg that landed near a hot spring and was quickly healed.

By the early 20th century, these hot springs became popular spots for foreigners — albeit most visitors were probably Japanese.

In 1907, Thomas Sammons, the American consul in Seoul, described six of the most “notable hot springs” on the Korean Peninsula. Somewhat surprisingly, most of them were in the northern part of the peninsula, and he neglected to mention the best-known hot springs near Fusan (modern Busan).

Chitose Hotel at Jueul Hot Spring in the 1930s / Robert Neff Collection

According to Sammons, three of the most notable hot springs were near Chinnampo (modern Nampo in North Korea), but he was not impressed with them as they were located “in low land, unattractive in every way and without bathing accommodations.”

Near the foreign gold mining concessions north of Pyongyang, there were several small hots springs but the most popular was Sung-chun. Located near the British gold mining concession (Gwendoline), it was often frequented by the miners — presumably Koreans — who established a resort for themselves where they could relax and soothe their sore muscles in the hot water.

Sammons described the spring as “a well-shaped pool” nearly six meters deep, but provided no real information. Fortunately, Edward McCarthy, the general manager of the mining concession, did write about his experience at the hot spring in the early 1900s:

“These springs are well-known in Corea for........

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