Busan subway's Nopo Station restroom wins bronze at national 'Beautiful Restroom' contest

The restroom at Nopo Station on Busan Metro Line 1 has won a bronze award — the Ministry of Interior and Safety minister's prize — at the 28th Beautiful Restroom Awards, Busan Transportation Corporation announced Friday.

The Beautiful Restroom Awards is an annual competition co-hosted by the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Korea Toilet Culture Association to promote better restroom culture. This year, 75 facilities nationwide — including highway rest stops, urban subway stations and railway stations — entered the competition, and 27 were ultimately selected.

The Nopo Station restroom, completed in 2025, draws natural light through the ceiling to create a bright, open atmosphere, with yellow-toned finishing materials adding a fresh feel. The facility also earned high marks for its user-centered improvements, including the installation of ramps to enhance accessibility for people with mobility challenges.

Busan Metro has now received a total of 16 awards at the Beautiful Restroom Awards since its first win in 2006.

"Restrooms are an important everyday lifestyle space that subway riders encounter regularly," Busan Transportation Corporation President Kim Tae-ho said. "We will continue to tend to them carefully — not only keeping them clean and convenient, but making them spaces where people can feel comfortable and leave with positive energy, even during a brief stop."