Hanwha General Insurance is holding Wellness Cruise Hannam, a wellness festival, at its Hannam headquarters in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, from 21 to 25 October. The third to fifth floors and basement have been divided into 12 themed spaces, with around 30 South Korean femtech and wellness brands contributing to the programme. The event is open daily from 11am to 9pm. Admission is free, although some activities and classes are paid or require advance booking.
As the name suggests, visitors begin their journey at the boarding desk on the second floor, as if stepping aboard a ship. They pass through different approaches to health and rest on each floor, and finish at the disembarkation area in the basement. Like a cruise that invites passengers to enjoy the journey as much as the destination, the event is designed to help visitors find the kind of rest that suits them through a range of experiences.
A 200-pyeong basement space for doing nothing
The final space is the one that catches the eye. In the roughly 200-pyeong rest area in the basement, visitors take off their shoes and lie on the floor, spending time with nothing but music, scent and light. There are no tasks to complete and no movements to follow.
The organisers say the space conveys the message that doing nothing and resting is as much a part of wellness as moving the body or trying new food. For city-dwellers hurried along by notifications and schedules, simply lying still can feel more unfamiliar than expected. For anyone who has found seated meditation difficult, paying attention to sounds and scents while lying down could be a first step.
Use casino chips to find your wellness type
The fourth floor is styled like a casino. In a game where visitors answer the host’s questions by placing chips, they can try a wellness personality test developed by Hanwha General Insurance’s Femtech Research Institute. At the end, they receive a card naming their type, such as “time balancer” or “self-fulfilment explorer”.
One side of the same space houses an arcade where visitors can try AI-powered health management services and products from wellness companies. In a rest area for women during pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood, PLUS CLOVR, Hanwha Financial Group’s women’s wellness brand, and LUSH Spa are running pregnancy massage and cleanser-making classes together. The fifth floor features a sauna that reinterprets Korea’s ondol underfloor-heating culture for today.
Not drinking alcohol is wellness too: coffee alternatives on the third floor
The third floor is devoted to food and drink. Visitors can sample alcohol-free coffee with the feel of whisky or cocktails, as well as caffeine-free coffee alternatives made with naturally derived ingredients. Hanwha General Insurance said it regarded choosing not to drink alcohol as a form of wellness, and had also prepared options for people who cannot consume caffeine. It added that participating brands were selected according to the principle of supporting healthy everyday lives.
Ip-mal-eumsik, which researches regional food traditions and ingredients, is holding a regional cooking class where visitors can try Andong gangjeong, Tongyeong ppaettegi porridge and Hamgyeong-do swieum rice cake. Ochawon is running a talisman-making activity using herbs. At the Glasshouse, shaped like a glass greenhouse, visitors can learn about seasonal ingredients and local food culture, and make souvenirs from plants. The Vegetable Gym, a collection of works that dress exercise equipment in the shapes of vegetables and plants, is another attraction.
Talks on life balance over the final two days
Stage events are also taking place in the latter part of the festival. Electronic musician Cifika will perform on 23 and 24 October, while talks on life balance and everyday energy will be held on 24 and 25 October. It is best to check the times and booking arrangements for the talks at the venue or on Hanwha General Insurance’s official channels.
Since announcing in 2023 that it would transform itself into an insurer specialising in women, Hanwha General Insurance has expanded its services beyond insurance products to encompass women’s health and everyday lives. This event is part of that wider effort.
You don’t have to start meditating while sitting
An insurance company turning an entire office building into a wellness space can be read as a sign that wellness is no longer the language of a particular industry, but part of everyday life. Exercise, food, saunas and naps sit side by side along the same route, and visitors can choose for themselves what suits them.
The same goes for meditation. If sitting on a cushion for a long time feels daunting, there are other ways in: resting while lying down and listening to sounds and noticing scents, warming the body in a sauna, or focusing the senses on a cup of tea. Rather than searching for a single right answer, opening different doors and choosing the one that feels comfortable is the approach to wellness offered by this cruise.
The event continues until 9pm tomorrow.
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