Per the AP, a lawmaker in Suwon — Shim Jae-duk — who is also known as “Mr. Toilet”, will finish his two-story, commode-shaped house today.
This is also being done now as to commemorate the first meeting of the World Toilet Association (WTA), which is supported by the Korean Government in one of their more amusing but useful ventures.
I especially appreciate the PR effort mounted by this unusual group to promote their cause in promoting better hygiene:
The Seoul conference will be accompanied by a toilet expo featuring exhibits to excite the public about the cause: including a ”Hansel and Gretel” bathroom made from cookies and candy that gives presents to children when they flush, and a ”toilet gallery cafe” where people can sit on colorful commodes while drinking tea.
Consider also the interesting theme of his new home, named “Haewoojae”, or a ”place to solve one’s worries,” shaped like a 24 1/2-foot-tall toilet bowl and filled with the latest in bathroom fixtures. Perhaps Mr. Shim has a good idea for his workplace as well since this might make a good theme for a new national assembly building since their current location seems more likely to be “the place that creates worries”.
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Many have said that the housing market is out of control, and Shim might be just the man to help out with that. Think of it - a campaign to place toilet-shaped houses in
effluentaffluent neighborhoods in southern Seoul would probably do more to curb real-estate price increases than anything NMH has ever tried.I recall Suwon placing a lot of emphasis on their newly designed and clean bathrooms around the time of the World Cup in 2002. So much so that it was a central theme of their host city website. Personally, I thought their great stadium deserved at least equal billing, especially considering the nature of the event.
That is awsome!
And you know that even if the tenants have been naughty, Santa still has to stop there.
a ”Hansel and Gretel” bathroom made from cookies and candy that gives presents to children when they flush
And wash their hands, right?
I saw a short feature (a minute or two) of this house on a US cable TV news network just in the last day or two (can’t remember which network); so, I have a mental image of how it looks.
Rather than ridicule it with any predictable jokes (ie, dropping my pants and assuming a wide stance in salute to his genius), I think that rather I should take my hat off to this man’s sublime un-selfconsciousness. If you’re going to do something, why not do it well and with a flair for the dramatic? (Though I am glad it’s not located in my neighborhood….)
Unless this is answered in one of the above links (I haven’t looked, can’t read them in any case if they are in Korean), the question posed by the US newscaster still stands. Just what type of periodicals are offered in wall racks, for the residents to peruse during their sojourn?