Saunas

This is actually quite depressing. I like Korean saunas. I like the relaxing atmosphere and the dry saunas. I especially like the hot and cold tubs - inspite of the fact that my female colleagues tell me that the water is the tubs is not safe and they wouldn't be caught dead in them. However...after reading this report in the Joonang Ilbo, I'm going to have second thoughts about even the dry sauna. (emphasis in the article is mine)

Sauna clothing ‘unsanitary'

July 22, 2006 ㅡ The clothing lent to customers at saunas and steam rooms is often unsanitary, the Korea Consumer Protection Board said yesterday.
The board said it looked into how saunas launder and store their clothing ― usually cotton tops and shorts for customers to wear in sweat rooms. It said that it found bacteria in the clothing at 17 of the 20 businesses it tested in Seoul; in some cases, the amount bacteria was "extremely high."
The board said it would send a recommendation to the Welfare Ministry to make sanitary guidelines for steam rooms more strict. "Current laws only state that clothing lent to customers must have been laundered," a board member said. It also issued a statement to an association of steam room operators, asking them to create their own sanitary guidelines and better educate their employees about sanitation management.
The board also warned customers that the clothing most likely has more bacteria than regular clothing, due to the sweat and heat, and carries high risks of transmitting skin diseases.