NCT 127's Johnny Says He Draws the Line at Korea's Sauna Culture: ‘I Don’t Want to See You Naked'

The K-pop star, who grew up in Chicago, explains why trips to saunas are the one Korean tradition he can't get behind.

September 17, 2026

Johnny of NCT 127 in a suit and tie, smiling at an event, standing against a backdrop with text. — Image via ilgan Sport/Imazins via Getty Images

Key Takeaways

NCT 127’s Johnny says Korea’s communal sauna culture still makes him uncomfortable: “I don’t want to see you naked.”
On the debut episode of Journey with Johnny, the Chicago-raised singer acknowledged that jjimjilbangs help people bond but said he prefers “room temperature and my clothes on.”
NCT 127 recently released its seventh album, Blingy, and will launch the Neo City: The Redline Tour in Seoul on Sept. 18.

NCT 127’s Johnny is using the first episode of his new podcast to admit there is one Korean custom he has never been able to get down with: the trip to the sauna with friends.

On the inaugural episode of his Journey with Johnny podcast, the K-pop star, who grew up in Chicago, said communal bathing at Jjimjil-bangs (Korean saunas) is the one habit that still catches him off guard, even after years of living in Seoul.

“One thing that I really can't understand In the culture of Korea is the ‘sauna culture,’” he said near the 19-minute mark in the video linked above. “Starting from [an] early age, Korean people are introduced to saunas, so they go very often with family. Then as you go into school, you start going with your friends.

“Me, having went to school in America and then coming to Korea, and then the guys [are saying], ‘Yo, you want to go to a sauna?’ I'm just kind of like, 'I don't want to see you naked,'" he added.

He was careful to note the practice has real social value, calling it “a good way to get close to people.”

“I don't know why, but Koreans really love to get a good sweat on, and that's what a jjimjil-bang is for,” he said. “But not for me. I like room temperature and my clothes on with other people.”

At a jjimjilbang, patrons wear provided shorts and shirts in the heated communal rooms, while the separate bathhouse section, split by gender, requires nudity.

Last month, NCT 127 released their seventh studio album, Blingy. The group will begin its fifth tour, Neo City: The Redline, at KSPO Dome in Seoul on Friday (Sept. 18) and will perform throughout Asia until January 2027.