Foreign tourists who have visited South Korea consistently praise the cleanliness and hygiene of the country's public restrooms as among the best in the world.
The facilities are managed under a named-cleaner accountability system, repaired promptly when broken, and regularly inspected for the condition of toilets, mirrors and tiles — all of which have earned high marks from international visitors.
Even so, a proposal to raise the bar further has emerged from the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Assembly.
Ahn Jeong-min, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker representing Wonju District 8, called Tuesday for the establishment of a "Gangwon-style public restroom paradigm" encompassing hygiene, safety and environmental sustainability, speaking during a five-minute open-floor session at a special session of the assembly.
Ahn said public restrooms are a basic facility essential to residents' daily lives and to the use of tourist sites, performance venues and sports facilities, and that their condition shapes visitors' overall impression of a region.
She outlined eight directions for upgrading the facilities: incorporating universal design principles; piloting waterless urinals; running testbed projects using solar power and rainwater; strengthening cleaning and inspection schedules based on usage volume and peak seasons or events, with QR-code complaint reporting and rapid response; verifying that emergency bells are linked to actual dispatch; disclosing the results of hidden-camera inspections; monitoring monthly water consumption and managing leaks; and introducing water-saving fixtures.
Universal design is broadly a philosophy and aesthetic centered on user convenience. Its principles include equitable use for people of diverse abilities, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive operation, perceptible information, tolerance for error, and low physical effort.
"Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province should establish integrated performance indicators and launch pilot projects together with its 18 cities and counties, then expand approaches proven effective across the entire province," Ahn said. "I hope Gangwon Province will take the lead in setting standards for restrooms that are comfortable for people and less burdensome on nature, and in pioneering a new restroom culture and paradigm."
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