Korean Job Discussion Forums

[stellarsky627]

I just wonder how many people have actually encountered non-western bathrooms in their every day life in Korea... you know, the holes in the ground squatting kind.

I can't imagine it's all TOO often. Is it???

Also- I know people sit on the floor more often than not at restuarants. Do you ever find restuarants with actual chairs? Or is it really all floor sitting?

Thanks for the feedback

[Caffeinated]

Well, it's not just a hole in the ground but a squat toilet. My school is mostly Western toilets, but public ones are about half and half. I have yet to encounter just a hole in the ground in Seoul.

Oh, but you're not supposed to flush TP down the older toilets but throw them in the bin. Supposedly the older pipes are skinnier and get clogged up easily.

[SeoulNate]

on the bathroom: It depends on the area, some areas have a ton while others dont have too many.

For the most part the only places you see them are the public bathrooms in an office-tel or similar that houses multiple restaurants and "bars". However, even the western style public bathrooms should be mostly avoided if they are in a similar location.

On the dining: If it is korean style, you will be setting on the floor more often than not, maybe 75%. If its anything else, grab a chair. Either way there are a ton of both kinds.

[wormholes101]

Squat toilets seem to be on the way out. I don't remember the last time I used one.

[Stalin84]

[Globutron]

I've managed and plan to continue avoiding the use of squat toilets. It's not difficult. Normally in say the Subway, there are either half and half, or mainly squatters, with one or two at the end with 'foreigner toilet' written on it (sometimes).

But I basically never need to go when in public. Can't provide the same info for females though. I hear lots of places have those modern toilets for girls with buttons and sound effects. I used one once in a Thai restaurant just to check it out. A lot less exciting than I imagined.

[AsiaESLbound]

We have them in our school, gymnasium, and public city park restrooms. At school there is the option to use a Western toilet, but the sanitary conditions are too appalling. They built a newer restroom with classical music playing for 6th graders to use, but they tore it up. It too is disgusting. No staff toilets so some days I'm holding a lot more in than I want to admit.

Toilet type doesn't really matter, because I'm not sitting down in that mess. Be careful if using squatter as you can break an ankle with one wrong step. Why are restrooms so wet and stinky all the time?

[kinerry]

[denverdeath]

[Steve_Rogers2008]

After my first time when confronted by the need to use a squatter, I certainly was glad I played crab soccer in middle school!

[thoreau]

My school has squat toilets in the school but a western toilet in the gym.

I think the trend is for all new buildings and renovations to get western toilets installed.

[crossmr]

Unless you're in a really old building chances are you aren't far from a western toilet. however if you've got an emergency and you're in a subway station you might have to use a squatter. Koreans seem to prefer the western one too, so even if there are 5 squatters and 1 western toilet, if it's busy I will see a line-up of 2 or 3 people for the western toilet while the squatters are all empty. I think any renovations they do really needs to up the amount of western toilets in some subway stations. Some places are as many as 6:1 in favor of the squatters, and they're always empty.

[stellarsky627]

It's interesting that there are bathrooms in the subway stations in Korea. In New York City there are no bathrooms in subway stations.

Hmm... I wonder if I can make it through an entire year not using a squatter once... sounds like a challenge!

[MalFSU1]

I went my first year here only having to use a squat toilet once. This was only accomplished by my own stubborness and holding it until I could find a western toilet. This year I found out my small country school did not have a western style toilet anywhere...I have since become a pro at the squatters and no longer hold it. I would say if you like to travel to alot of places outside of Seoul you are far more likely to come across situations with only squatters. If you stay inside the confines of the big city , then there is almost always a western toilet somewhere nearby. Living in the middle of the country, squatters are something I see on a daily basis and I am glad to have gotten over my own issues regarding using them.

[8 years down]

Bathrooms:
8 years here. Never squatted. Rarely see them unless out in the country.

Restaurants:
I'd say there are more with chairs than without these days.