Korean Job Discussion Forums

Z-Boy · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Location: Nowon, Seoul

My highly important question is this: What are the public toilets like in South Korea? Easy to find? Clean? Free? Little old lady in the corner with a mop? Better just to nip into a fast food restaurant?

I suppose this depends largely on where you are - ftr, I'll be in Ansan.

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

Dude, do you think James Hatfield and the rest of Metallica would be asking that question right now? Do you honestly think that's a Heavy Metal question? Stop worrying about hygiene and try some questions more pertinent to the Heavy Metal lifestyle.

never be without toilet paper

Z-Boy · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Location: Nowon, Seoul

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

You may consider taking squatting lessons at home before you come here...that is squatting while holding your nose with one hand and holding your TP that you carried around in your back pocket for two weeks in case of an emergency like this one in your other hand.

You can safely ignore the ajumma mopping the floor under the urinal beside you. She does not expect a tip. The man who gives you a neck massage while you are taking a whiz in a big hotel does expect a tip.

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

You see people relieving themselves in public a lot here.

I suspect the foulness of the bathrooms. Like the scene of some kind of scatalogial murder....

riley · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: where creditors can find me

On the other hand, unlike back home, the highway reststop bathrooms are generally rather nice and clean.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

If it has a lid, it's clean enough to sit on. Koreans don't urinate on the seat. Bring your own toilet paper.

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

It's easy enough to find a public toilet, but finding a clean one can be tricky. One tip is that the lobbies of most apartment buildings (officetels) have them. Another tip is always check for toilet paper since there's a good chance it won't be there. If you're ever forced to doot in a subway bathroom (and pray you won't be) the toilet paper is often located on the wall outside the stalls like it is paper towels. Another place to find toliet paper is on the Korean dinner table.

seoulsucker · Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 7:11 pm Post subject: Re: Highly important question

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

Squatters are pretty common outside of nice parts of the big cities. I even had to use one on a train once, complete with a bar to hold on to! No toilet paper, no soap, and no hot water (sometimes no water at all) are pretty common. I carry my own TP in my purse all the time. Its probably not a bad idea to carry hand sanitizer if you are really picky. My theory is that the lady who is cooking my food just used the bathroom with out washing her hands at all, so why should I bother with any thing more than cold water. Most of them don't wash their hands and it drives me nuts!