Korean public toilet culture

There is a saying that you can tell whether a country is developed or not by looking at its public toilets. We have heard how dirty the open-air public toilets on the streets in India are, and how clean and convenient public toilets are in Japan. The quality of life and attitude of a country's citizens can be reflected in the public toilets. There are many diseases caused by public health around the world, and public health safety is an urgent issue.

The common terms we use are public toilets, public toilets, and public toilets. From the name, we know the basic purpose of this public facility: going to the toilet, washing hands, and convenience. In Korean, the public toilet is called (powder room). This name sounded strange at first. But after I gradually understood the culture of this place, I felt that this name truly expresses the meaning of a public toilet.

For most people, public toilets are a place where they have no choice but to hold their breath, make a quick decision, and escape quickly. Before everyone goes on a long trip, they try to solve intestinal problems at home and avoid using public toilets. Perhaps because the environment of most domestic public toilets is worrying, many people hold a negative attitude towards public toilets. Unsanitary is the most basic interpretation of public toilets. Domestic public toilets use squatting toilets, but in South Korea, they use sitting toilets. This is an intolerable fact for the Chinese, because we have had a bad impression of public toilets since we were young, so we are not willing to use them in public toilets. We are used to squatting wherever our skin comes into contact. There is a notice board posted in every bathroom in South Korea's airports with a warning picture and "Don't squat on the toilet" written in three languages, including Chinese.

What are the restroom signs at Incheon Airport?

In my opinion, there are several things worth learning from Korean bathrooms.

1 Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and paper towels are provided in every bathroom

In China, toilet paper is an essential item for women when they go out to check their bags. Most public restrooms do not provide toilet paper. Almost all public toilets in South Korea provide toilet paper, and there is a small note next to the toilet paper bucket, reminding people that if they run out of toilet paper, they can ring the bell at any time and call the service department, and the staff will deliver the paper to hand. It’s very convenient and you won’t have the embarrassment of running out of paper in your bag. Hand sanitizer and soap are also indispensable items, and dryers and paper towels are also basically provided, advocating public hygiene for all.

2 Set up toilets and nursing rooms for disabled people

South Korea's work in caring for people with disabilities is worth learning. Transportation and public facilities will provide convenient environments for people with disabilities. The bathroom for disabled people has a very large space. The automatic entry button, sink and toilet are all designed to match the height of wheelchairs.

Disabled toilet

For breastfeeding mothers, the most fearful thing is going out, because there is no comfortable breastfeeding environment when their children are breastfeeding. Many mothers breastfeed on the steps of shopping malls or on rest chairs. The crowds coming and going make mothers very inconvenient. And a noisy environment is not conducive to children eating. Korean bathrooms are equipped with special nursing rooms, equipped with sofas, diaper changing stations, etc., where mothers can breastfeed without worry. Some bathrooms have urinals that are only found in men's bathrooms. This is designed with mothers taking young boys into consideration, making it easier for children to go to the toilet.

Nursing room in public bathroom

3. Use smart toilets.

Public bathrooms in some subway stations in South Korea have squatting toilets, and the rest are almost all sitting toilets. There is a special disinfectant next to the toilet. If you feel uneasy, you can disinfect it at any time. I was not used to it when I first arrived. I always feel uncomfortable when using the toilet in public places, but time is a terrible thing. After a long time, I get used to everything. Some of them use smart toilets. Not to mention anything else, just because my buttocks don’t get cold after sitting down in winter, I give it full marks.

4. Clear zoning of bathrooms

At the beginning, it was said that bathrooms in Korea are called dressing rooms. If you go to Korea and take a look, you will feel that this name is well deserved. Korean bathrooms are divided into toilet area, wash basin area and dressing table area. Korean girls who love beauty can touch up their makeup at any time here. After lunch, the girls took their toothbrushes and brushed their teeth in the bathroom before going on an afternoon date (a common phenomenon in Korean bathrooms, especially after lunch). Then they walked to the dressing table, opened their makeup bags and started putting on makeup. I have to admit that dressing up was a chore. District lighting is the most high-end beauty camera. Pictures Some bathrooms have sofas and armchairs in this area. I once saw a little girl half-lying on the armchair in the bathroom, sound asleep. Koreans pay attention to their appearance. For them, the public bathroom is not just a place to meet their physiological needs, but an important space for organizing their appearance.

The hand washing area in the public bathroom?

Dressing area in public bathroom

The red area is the dressing area and the green area is the washing area?

But what really surprised me was the public toilets in the Korean expressway service area.

Sun room, small garden, art gallery, photo wall, sofa area... It has always challenged my understanding of traditional public bathrooms. Each regional high-speed service area in South Korea represents the image of this region, so great efforts have been made in facility construction. Restaurants provide Chinese, Korean and Japanese food, snack bars, coffee shops, convenience stores are standard, small gardens and smoking A bathroom is also essential, and of course the most important thing is the public bathroom.

After seeing the toilets in highway service areas in Korea, I once wanted to make a series specifically introducing the toilets in service areas...

Several styles of service area bathrooms I have seen are as follows:

1 Pastoral

? The first time I entered the service area bathroom in Korea was a bathroom with a sunroom. The first thing I saw when I entered the door was a huge sunroom surrounded by glass. There were trees, flowers, birds, and flowers in it. I was dumbfounded. Since then, I have seen such bathrooms many times. Most of them have a flower bed in the middle of the bathroom, with bamboos, flowers and seasonal flowers planted in it. It is simply a beautiful little garden.

The big screen in the picture shows toilet usage?

2 Art gallery style

? Some bathrooms are like a small art gallery or exhibition hall, with paintings and photography of different styles hanging on the walls. Some are themed bathrooms, such as Marvel character exhibitions, classic movie reappearances, etc., and some are reflections. The historical stories of the region where the service area is located let you understand the regional culture through old photos. Some simply design the bathroom interior in a traditional Korean house style.

3 luxury style

just look at the picture

This public toilet is directly across the highway. I once sat here and looked at the night view pictures.

4 small fresh style

?

5 children's toilets

The bathroom is not just a space that simply solves physiological problems. It is not just a place where a toilet is enough. Instead, it plays an extremely important role in solving the most basic physiological problems of human beings. The human excretion reaction is not a process that makes people feel dirty. It is a physical relaxation and the most wonderful metabolic process, it should be valued and it deserves a nice and relaxing place. Public bathrooms are the face of a country and reflect the quality of its people. It is another private space outside of home for people to come in, solve problems, take a short break, check their appearance, relax physically and mentally, and then face the next schedule with a new look.