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Many Korean apartments carry forward the basic idea of ondol, Korea’s traditional underfloor heating. Instead of sending hot smoke beneath stone floors, modern systems usually circulate boiler-heated water through pipes under the floor.

ONDOL NEVER REALLY DISAPPEARED

Korea.net notes that modern Korean apartments still use the ondol principle, with hot water from a boiler circulating through the home to heat the floor.

THE FLOOR IS THE HEATING SURFACE

The system warms the floor rather than blasting hot air into the room. That helps explain why floor-level sitting and sleeping remain so comfortable and familiar in Korean domestic life.

Sources & context

2026-09-18

www.korea.net ↗www.korea.net ↗