Yuseong Hot Spring Foot Spa

Office workers on their way home, local pensioners and travellers sit side by side, trousers rolled up and feet in the water. The Yuseong Hot Spring Foot Spa is an open-air foot bath in a park at the heart of Daejeon's Yuseong spa district, fed with natural spring water at around 40 °C. It is free and needs no booking, so even a 30-minute stop in Daejeon is enough to try a Korean hot spring.

History: a spring where kings rested

A legend from the end of the Baekje era tells of a mother searching for medicine for her son, wounded in battle. She saw an injured crane heal its wing in a pool of melted snow and bathed her son in the same water, curing him. Written records say that King Taejo, founder of the Joseon dynasty, rested here on his way to Gyeryongsan to look for a new capital, and that the future King Taejong bathed here in 1393 before watching military drills. Modern bath facilities were built in 1913, and Yuseong grew into Daejeon's best-known spa district. It was designated a Special Tourist Zone in 1994.

What to see

• The open-air foot bath: shallow channels wind through the park, edged with stones and benches. Parts of the bottom are lined with smooth pebbles that massage your soles as you walk. The foot spa opened in October 2007.
• Size: the foot bath is divided into four sections and can take about 200 people at once, so even in the evening or at weekends you can usually find a spot.
• Washing area and facilities: there is a separate channel for washing your feet first, plus air dryers for your feet and toilets.
• The water: a mildly alkaline simple spring from deep underground, rich in silica (SiO₂), which makes it feel smooth on the skin. Sources differ on the temperature at the source: 27–56 °C or 41–57 °C.

Good to know

The streets of the spa district are lined with Chinese fringe trees, whose white blossoms look like snow, and the Yuseong Hot Spring Culture Festival is held in May when they flower. On average around 500 people use the foot spa each day, and about 1,000 at weekends.

Nearby

• Gyeryongsan and Donghaksa: the national park just west of Yuseong is the mountain King Taejo inspected as a possible new capital. Donghaksa Temple on its eastern side is known for its cherry blossom avenue in spring.
• National Science Museum and Hanbat Arboretum: fitting sights for Daejeon, home of the Daedeok research complex, and an easy day out with children.
• Yurim Park: a riverside park near the spa district, good for a stroll after your foot soak.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: 07:00–22:00, every day of the year, free of charge.
• What to bring: a small towel, and trousers or a skirt that are easy to roll up.
• Getting there: walk from Yuseong Spa Station on Daejeon Metro Line 1. There is no dedicated car park, so public transport is easiest.
• Time needed: 20–30 minutes is enough for a foot soak. In the evening the lit-up park is especially pleasant.