So at long last we come to my final Gilman Scholarship followon project text blog.  I've told you about many different places in this part of Korea, Korean culture and history over the past few months.  Now, you might wonder, what will I do for a finale?  Something I've done over my time here has been to take pictures of anything that was interesting, odd, amusing or the like.  Hence I have over a thousand pictures I've taken over the course of a semester abroad!  Far too many to put to use for this project, so I had to whittle the choices down until I had good amount of good pictures to work with.  This final blog then will in part bring you some of the pictures that didn't make it into my other entries but will hopefully make everyone smile a bit as the holiday season nears - Christmas is this weekend, and it's the second night of Channukah!

We'll start with a couple of pictures I took during my Chuseok trip to Everland - Korea's answer to Disneyland albeit on a much smaller scale.  Firstly there's the above warning for the Rotating House attraction - basically motion and optical illusions to make it appear that you're spinning, falling, and swinging through the air.  Most of the warnings make good sense, but the first one is a good example of Engrish/Konglish - akward translations from Korean into English.  Who would have guessed that the Rotating House gave the feeling of being... in a rotating house?

Also, when I visited there were Halloween decorations up - kind of a reminder of things back home in a way even though the holiday isn't celebrated much at all in Korea.  Amongst the decorations, though, was a supiciously recognizable super hero's logo painted onto a pumpkin.  Korea is far more lenient on the use of trademarked characters/logos/whatnot than the West, but this kind of seemed out of place.  The Punisher pumpkin... the Pumpkinsher?

This picture exemplifies two things.  Firstly that I'm a terrible photographer.  Secondly the fact that often times stores and promotional events will use promo/sales girls outside to attract business.  These ladies were at a soccer themed promo event outside the World Cup stadium during the Korea vs Poland match I went to .  You can also find sales girls outside most cosmetic stores, equipped with microphones to be heard better, and willing to literally grab potential customers by the arm to get them to come into the store.  I'm not sure if they get paid on commission by how many people they get to come into the store or not, but that might explain such aggressive tactics.

Hey look, it's Spider-Man outside of a pharmacy!  Seriously, this was pretty odd to find.  Just a random Spider-Man statue on a bench as maybe a way to attract customers to a pharmacy in Cheonan.  There was another one up on the building climbing down, which was just that much more peculiar.  Actually this weirdly reminded me of home - the daily Spider-Man comic strip is an inside joke with friends.  Mainly because he just sits around and lets other super heroes deal with villains - so is this comic strip Spider-Man in Korea, taking a break from shopping?  Who knows?

This is Ben.  He has a girlfriend from China who will be going to the US to attend college soon.  Her English name is Ivy.  When we found this school uniform store bearing the same name as his girlfriend we had to take a picture.  It was just too perfect.  School uniforms are part of pretty much every student's life in Korea though, and in a city like Cheonan or Suwon you can find a half dozen shops for the uniforms within a block of each other.  At least a half dozen.  Uniforms are expensive too  - almost $300 for one - so parents sometimes buy one that's a little large so their child can grow into it.

Something I took up in Korea was taking pictures of odd or funny signs whenever I came across them.  The following are a few that I spotted in Songtan (the more relaxed and geographically closer to SCH version of Itaewon).  First, up above you can see one of the many clothing stores in Songtan which sell American style and sized garments.  You're not reading that sign wrong, it's actually called JC Penny, though it has no relation at all to the American department store.  Just kind of a weird coincidence.

So where should we go next?  How about that one place.. you know, that store?  This was arguably the single funniest name for a store I've seen in all of South Korea.  Just nice and vague.  Its merchandise was similar to a few other stores in the area but it's the name that will stick with you.

Maybe it's because they're near an American military base.  This place is another hip hop clothing store located in Songtan just past the large concentration of restaurants in the central shopping area.  So if you're needing clothes to wear while storming the beaches of Normandy, this is the place to go!  Unless you'd rather go to That Store.

Korea has plenty of coffee shops both domestic and foreign - there are Starbucks shops all over the place!  One of the Korean ones is Angel-in-us Coffee, but somehow this coffee shop just trumps them all.  Its name is certainly more divine than a mere angel after all.  Jesus Coffee is in Seoul, though I really have no idea if the coffee is as spiritual as the store's name would suggest.

Another case of liscensed charactres being used in the name or sign of a Korean business!  While there was no actual drawing of the Studio Ghibli character Totoro (from My Neighbor Totoro for the uninitiated), the influence is clear enough.  Now this raises the question over whether their bento is made from actual Totoro or faux Totoro.  Just kidding.. but still kind of funny to come across in Cheonan.

Plastic surgery is very big in South Korea - I've mentioned in my video blog just how many girls I've seen with an eye patch indicating eye surgery.  That's the most common procedure but not the only one that's popular in Korea.  You can find ads like this one everywhere in Korea, including on the subway!  It's a sign of just how much a part of the culture it is when you see plastic surgeon ads on public transportation, shopping carts and billboards.  Not one of my favorite things about Korea either.  I really think a lot of the before pictures you see in these ads are actually better than the after ones.

Ah, the order ring from Kimbap Nara.  You get these devices when you order something at the common lunchtime destination, and it vibrates when your order is ready.  They come in green and red, but there's no difference in speed or function between them.  While you're waiting you can grab water and side dishes, but it usually doesn't take very long to get your food at Kimbap Nara.  If you're a regular and your friends are too, then you might get one of the rings for the whole group since the staff knows you so well.

The Chinese primary school in Myeongdong, a district of Seoul famous for shopping, Japanese tourists and a Catholic cathedral.  It's apparently a Taiwanese operation rather than mainland China - you see the white sun on a blue disc there?  Nationalist symbol.  My friend from Taiwan said that if Chinese students saw this combination they'd get pretty annoyed by it (the whole People's Republic of China vs Republic of China thing).  I found it interesting that they used the old symbol but don't know much more about this place.

Like I've also mentioned in my videos and this blog, Christianity is pretty big in Korea.  Catholicisim doesn't have the following that Protestantism does, but there's still a good number of Catholics here.  Near Myeongdong Cathedral you can find some obviously Catholic stores like this one with the Virgin Mary and Jesus above its sign.  Christian supply and book stores aren't super common in Korea but in any major city you're bound to find one.

In the War Memorial of Korea there's a hall of heroes that leads to the inner war museum.  Busts of a good number of heroes of the Republic of Korea can be found here with descriptions of their exploits in defense of the South.  Many are from the Korean War and many are recipients of the Order of Taeguk, the South Korean equivalent to the Medal of Honor.  It's fascinating to read their stories and look at faces of men who in many cases gave their lives up for the Republic.  Once again the War Memorial of Korea is really worth a visit and is very easy to find.

In other news it's been really cold in Sinchang lately.  So much so that while there is no snow most of the time the water in the back gate's pond is frozen solid.  Not just a thin layer of ice, this stuff is very thick!  You can throw a rock at it full force and not even crack the ice when it's especially cold (some Korean guys we know actually did this).  So while it's clear to walk most of the time you should be careful when walking down the stairs on campus at Soonchunhyang, since they're liable to be slippery.

Finally I'd like to take the time to thank a couple of Koreans who made life in their country a good deal easier than it otherwise would have been.  Many of the Korean people I've met during this semester have been helpful, polite and welcoming.  These two have been especially helpful to me, though.

First there's my roommate Jacob, who arrived a week into the semester - initially I hadn't thought I would have a roommate.  But I'm very glad that he decided to return from Australia after all.  Jacob has been incredibly helpful whenever I needed assistance - he helped me get a ticket for the soccer game (letting me borrow his ID card to pick it up, since we reserved it using that number), provided suggestions on places to see, helped me with Korean language skills and more.  Yet he never expected anything in return.  He's even helping me by calling a taxi on Friday so that I don't have to attempt to do so myself.  I visited his hometown and attended a Christian (not Catholic) service there with him before enjoying samgyupsal for dinner.  Beyond that, he's been very interesting to talk to about Korean culture and social issues, and became a good friend.  I'm going to miss talking with him, and am sure he'll do well in his final semester and beyond.  Thanks for everything Jacob!  And good luck when you come to America for your study abroad program in 2012!

Then there's Imo, the lovely lady who runs the laundry service in the Global Village.  Beyond providing this service as well as dry cleaning and presumably repairs, Imo has been a joy to visit with.  She's always incredibly polite and welcoming, and every time I visited with laundry we had a little conversation.  Whether it was about exams, soccer, dinner or something else, it was a great way to practice my Korean.  And you can't help but smile when you go to see her.  Thanks so much for everything you do, Imo!  I'll miss you, and hope you have a wonderful year in 2012!

So that's it for my Gilman Scholarship followon project.  Hope it's been an interesting read for everyone out there in the USA and beyond!  My final reflections on this semester abroad in Korea will be in my final video blog update, which should be up on Friday Korean time.  While I'm still uncertain about my future post-Bachelor's degree (like where I'll end up teaching exactly), it was definitely worth the chance to come here.  It was cool to see another country and culture in person and to experience living here if only for a few months.  If you ever have the chance to go out and do something like this, do it!  You may not have the chance again for a long time, so seize the opportunity when you have it. That's all for this blog, see everyone back in Oregon and at Portland State University really soon!  And big thanks again to the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for the help in making this study abroad experience a reality!

You can email any comments, feedback, or questions to: HangukMartyn@yahoo.com

And my YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperBombadillo?feature=mhee



As my final week in South Korea begins, it's become time for some personal reflection.  Much of my efforts this week will be focused upon finishing my final exams, preparing to depart the school and then Korea.  Today I thought it might be prudent to discuss a few things that I will miss about my time in Korea, and then a few that I won't miss as much.  This is by no means a comprehensive list but it is hopefully at least some small indication of my thoughts about Korea.

One of the things I will certainly miss about Korea is finding very odd things that you would never have guessed would be here.  Whether it's Mr. Toilet House or a poster for Zorro The Musical, there are plenty of very peculiar things that you'll stumble upon in the ROK.  Of particular interest in the 'weird' department are signs for stores - some are oddly phrased, some are even the names of stores in America but totally different inside.  Clothing too can have weird and random phrases on it, as long as it's English.  For example, a woman's shirt I saw in Songtan that said 'Hockey Night in Canada'.  Or the hat I actually purchased that proclaims 'Exciting! Since 1845'.  There just isn't anything similar in America really.



I'll also miss the Korean people I've met these past 4 months.  So many of them have been more friendly and helpul than I could ever have hoped for.  Case in point: the nun in the above picture.  I attended a church in Cheonan regularly and she greeted both myself and my friend Emiliano the moment we stepped inside.  By the second week she had already offered to prepare English notes for the service to assist us.  It's when people will go out of their way to help a relative stranger that has left a distinct impression upon me.  Other people have been very helpful, and those people will be mentioned in my final followon project blog.  This is because I think they deserve special recognition beyond a few words in this blog.

Public transportation in Korea is both a thing I will miss and something I'll be glad to put behind me.  Specifically the train system is something I will miss being able to take advantage of.  Stations are easy to navigate because signs are both in English and Korean, and every exit has a neighborhood map so you can double check which one to take.  As long as you have a map of the subway system you can get pretty much anywhere in the Seoul metropolitan area for a very cheap price.  Inside Seoul trains come incredibly regularly - often I've seen two or three trains, one after another, stop at a station.  No need to worry about missing a train when they come so often!  Getting back to Sinchang is tricky since later at night the trains don't head that far out regularly, but overall KORAIL is something I will miss.

Food is also a thing I'll miss.  There are so many restaurants just near the school to try, and most are relatively inexpensive; this makes it much easier to eat a good meal here. The staff at the restaurants are almost always polite and if you frequent one enough (kimbap Nara in my case) they even learn your name and make small talk with you.  Much of the food is really tasty, and I've come to like all kinds of things I never would've tried in America - vegetables, mushrooms, and even occasionally mustard.

Finally I think the museums are also something I'll miss.  While there are many in America they almost always charge some kind of admission fee.  In Korea this is hardly ever the case.  Very good museums are free for the permanent exhibitions and have plenty worth going to see while you're here.  The National Museum of Korea and War Memorial of Korea are just two examples of places I've been to which have amazing exhibits for that best of prices: free. 

Like I said earlier, public transportation has been both bad and good.  The bus system is something that I have found to be very confounding to say the least.  While it was easy enough to get to Everland on Suwon's Line 66-4, it was pretty confusing when I was attempting to reach Mr. Toilet House.  None of the busses I saw were headed to the right station even though the signs indicated they would go that far.  And many were headed the same direction and had the same line number but were not going to the same stops as their final destination.  It was very confusing and I eventually took a taxi.  So if you want to take a bus, get a Korean to go with you so you have some idea of what bus to take.

My dorm is something else that I'm not going to miss really.  While I have really enjoyed getting to know my roommate, it's also nice to have personal space.  The walls aren't very thick to the room so any somewhat loud noise from outside sounds as if the door was open - like you're practically in the same room.  Add to that that the bed is small and the mattress leaves much to be desired - it's very hard to sleep comfortably - and the dorm suite isn't really that great to live in.  The bathrooms as well are narrow and thus more difficult to use for a Westerner.

Large crowds are yet another thing I won't miss about Korea (Seoul is the main example of this); it can get a bit old when you're constantly watching to make sure you don't bump into somebody.  Popular shopping areas and the subway both get very crowded and difficult to navigate because of this.  There's also an increased chance that you'll miss something just because there are too many people in your way to see/reach it.  The small size of the land and large number of people contribute to this, so it's something I won't take for granted in America any longer.

So that's it for the first of my final two Gilman Scholarship followon project blogs.  Thanks for reading throughout this semester!  Look for my final entry in two days' time, when I'll share a few pictures I haven't used for anything else this semester, as well as a couple of Koreans who have been incredibly helpful during the semester.

You can email comments and questions about my blogs to: HangukMartyn@yahoo.com
My project's weekly video blogs can be found at my YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperBombadillo?feature=mhee



Sinchang seen from up at SoonChunHyang University.

During this semester I've done a substantial amount of travelling across this one area of South Korea.  Travelling during the week is much more difficult to do since you have classes, so getting to know the immediate local area's important too.  So for this last 'regular' blog I'll tell you a few things about that local area - the town of Sinchang.  It's actually part of Asan city but is somewhat separated from Asan - it's about 10 minutes by subway to OnyangOncheon, which is a more urbanized part of Asan.

In some ways Asan kind of reminds me of home - it's a smaller 'town' near a major urban area (Asan/Cheonan), and on the boundary between urban and rural.  There's also a lot of restaurants just like in Forest Grove, Oregon, where I'll be in just over a week now.  Also there are many convenience stores for a quick snack, and a good number of bars and norebangs (karaoke rooms) as well.  We're in the mountains, as you can see from my pictures here. Also when you leave the Sinchang 'downtown' area there are a lot of farms and fields under cultivation.  Since this means there's not much to do in Sinchang apart from eat and study, you'll want to travel if you're out for some fun most likely.  However the reality of Sinchang's small town-ness is that if you frequent a restaurant they're likely to remember you name and what you usually order.  At Kimbap Nara, one of the employees even wants to make sure my friend and I come in one more time before we head back to America!



An intersection near the edge of Sinchang.

One of two Christian churches in Sinchang.

If you're up for walking you can always go exploring in Sinchang and maybe even find some unexpected things in this small college town.  Chicken restaurants are everywhere, and their delivery bikes are a common sight at SCH.  Finding a bowling alley was much less expected, and you have to head away from the area immediately in front of the university's back gate to find it.  I was also kind of surprised to find out there are no less than three authentic Chinese restaurants in Sinchang as well, which gives you a bit more variety than the usual standard Korean or samgyupsal (pork or beef cooked at the table).

Near the intersection above once stood a pedestrian bridge that while rusting provided a safe way to cross over towards the bowling alley (and more restaurants).  It's a sign of the ever progressing nature of Korean cities that this bridge has since been removed.  Presumably it will be replaced by a new structure but for the moment all that remains are the metal bases on either side of the street. 

Even though the town is small, it has some important history.  During the Joseon dynasty - Korea's last monarchy - Sinchang was apparently and administrative center for Chungnam province!  This was something we were told during my Introduction to Korean History course, by a Korean instructor.  It may not seem like it these days but there is a little evidence to suggest Sinchang had some greater importance then than it does now.  Near Sinchang elementary school is a simple stone slab with Chinese writing on it, protected by a small metal fence.  It says something to the effect of 'The Westerners are invaders.  Not fighting them is treason'. 

This is from a time when America, France and Japan were all running amock and trying to convince Korea to open up by force of arms if neccessary.  The king had the slabs built to warn everyone that any kind of collaboration would not be tolerated.  Korea put up a tough fight against the West - they prevented the French from forcing the issue, and set fire to an American ship. A testament to that resistance is still present even after the Japanese had them mostly removed post-annexation; it rests in little Sinchang, tucked away from the main thoroughfares.





Jaws from Lotte: It's Shark-tastic!

There are a lot of odd things in Korea: weirdly phrased signs, t-shirts that make no sense, Mr. Toilet House and more.  Another one of these is a particular kind of ice cream bar that is exclusive to South Korea as far as I can discern.  It comes in a wonderfully colorful wrapper with a confusing combination of waves and fruit... and a shark.  That's right the bar is actually shaped like a shark, and the bar itself is called 'Jaws'.  So if you come to Korea you can eat a Great White shark... in ice cream form!

Being that we're in the lower mountains and it's December, it shouldn't be surprising to anyone that it's been snowing.  Korean snow seems to be almost cotton like as it floats on the wind and can look big and fluffy.  It doesn't seem to stay around very long as the first two times we had snow it melted by the evening or the next morning.  As I write this blog though it's been snowing much more than when I took pictures of the first snowfall.  Yet it's not deep at all and transportation should still be perfectly reliable unless you're going on foot.  In that case I'd recommend taking your time and choosing a safe path to your destination; the many stairs here are even more dangerous when slippery.

Saki doing some window shopping at Alpha.

Ben debates seriously whether to purchase something at Alpha.

Finally you might want to know where you can get posterboard for presentations, office supplies and make copies.  The most convenient place off-campus would be Alpha: a small variety store at the bottom of the hill near the back gate.  They've got a lot of stuff in that space, from notebooks and office supplies to wooden models and paint.  Much of it's very reasonably priced so you should consider shopping around for things if you need extra stuff for classes. 

That's all for this week!  You can send comments/questions/feedback to my followon project email: HangukMartyn@yahoo.com

My video blogs for the project are at: http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperBombadillo?feature=mhee

Next week I'll be doing some reflection upon my semester abroad in Korea.  Here you'll find what I will miss and some things I won't miss about life here, as well as some special thank yous and last thoughts.  My video will be my thoughts on what it's been like here, what I've learned about myself and Korea, and other such things.  Thanks for reading!

As the semester draws ever near its conclusion, I realized that there were still a few things I really wanted to do in Korea before going home.  One of these was to visit a palace.  Having been the capital for 600 years Seoul has a number of them, and all look very impressive.  Yet Seoul's a long way from Sinchang, and you sometimes aren't going to feel like riding the train for 2 and a half hours to get there.  Not to mention fighting the crowds that inevitably will be found in the country's most populous city.  For a convenient alternative I highly recommend Suwon, which is only an hour and 20 minutes or so from SCH. 

Why Suwon?  Because it's home to a very interesting and beautiful place known as Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO world heritage site.  Inside the fortress is a temporary palace that was inhabited by a former king after he'd passed the crown on to his son.  He lived there with his mother as well, and the structure stands today as an enduring legacy of the Joseon Dynasty.  Not only is the palace itself pretty neat to explore, but there are also performances of two sorts - the changing of the guard and a traditional martial arts demonstration.  I arrived at the wrong time for the changing of the guard, but luckily the martial arts show was just beginning upon my arrival.

Old meets the new: a Christian church across the plaza from Hwaseong Palace.

The main gate of the palace, which is closed during the martial arts show.  Note the weapon racks in front of it.

Performers dressed as Joseon warriors emerge from the palace with royal standards.

Banners used as spears!

This was of particular interest to me because of an interest in Asian armed fighting styles - like Japan's kendo, for instance.  I'd been able to see Chinese and Japanese styles in film and other media before but never Korean.  What I found was that the Korean styles bear similarities to both Chinese and Japanese.  This is not to say that they are just a melding of those other cultures' martial arts, far from it.  Simply that each culture influences the others, perhaps - since Korean civilization does in fact go back farther in recorded history than Japan.

What do I mean by elements of both?  The use of polearms (spears, Asian-style halberds, etc.) is something I've seen a bit more in Chinese traditional martial arts.  All of the swords used during the demonstration were much more of the curved style blade used so expertly in Japan.  To my eyes they were very similar yet not quite identical to katana, the traditional samurai weapon of choice.  Those observations aside the demonstration consisted of the use of swords (single and dual wielding), spears, halberds, archery (rapid firing and crossbows to boot) and then mixed unit combat.  I was very impressed by the level of skill the performers displayed, and especially the speed with which the archers released their shots - on target no less.  It was also nice but anachronisitc to see that not all of the warriors were men - there were at least two ladies out there too!

I'm pretty sure this is a woman; she displayed great skill using two blades simultaneously.

When the show ends you can get pictures of and with the performers.  At the same time the palace gate opens and at last you can set foot inside and begin exploring the grounds.  When I first entered the interior I was curious about the wooden plank pathways that lead from one area to another.  Then I realized that the courtesans, attendants and royal residents would likely be wearing cloth or leather shoes that could get dirty very easily.  Not only would that be unbecoming in the court, but it would track dirt inside - a big no-no in Korea.  In homes and some restaurants and rooms you are expected to remove your shoes so that this does not happen.  Soldiers would presumably walk on the dirt then, since they would be wearing boots while on duty.  Additionally you can see that the grounds were fairly open; a good number of people, but there's so much area inside that you get a much more private feeling once you get away from them a bit.

Three layers of Korean society - a roof from Hwaseong Palace, a giant golden Buddha, and a communications tower.

Royal guards stand before the entrance to the palace's inner sanctum.

A eunuch reading in his private quarters.

A structure in the trees near the fortress wall.

It's good to be the King!

This is the hall in which the royal residents would hold feasts and court.

At first a lot of the palace looked similar to all the other parts, and I though that finding one's way around without a map would be difficult.  However in the Joseon days Chinese characters were the script of choice and signs at different gates identify the grounds' different areas.  It's interesting to see just how small individual rooms were in those days - barely enough space for a dresser and a sleeping mat.  A few rooms are open with displays in them - mostly servants or court officers preparing for their duties.  In the royal hall the former king is present at a feast, with servants attentively waiting; his mother is attended at the other end of the hall.  Lastly there was also an area in which the soldiers were housed - according to the indentification plaques they would have been cavalry.  Traditional armor is on display there, and is quite similar to that worn by the martial arts performers.

You really get a feel for how big the place actually is when you just explore the grounds to try and see everything there.  Just when you think you've returned to your starting point you see a new pathway to take, and more places to go see.  At the same time those pathways are narrow more often than not, and rooms are (as mentioned) very small.  This gets the most out of the space the palace is built on, though the area before the royal hall is much more wide open.  Fitting, as I'd imagine great processions, assemblies and performances would have been held there.

There's really nothing like these sorts of places in America - at the same time as we were still loyal colonies of the British Empire, places like Hwaseong were standing as the homes of the Joseon royal family.  Perhaps the best part of visiting palaces and similar sites in Korea is how inexpensive it is to do so.  All of them have an entrance fee to help pay for the upkeep of the structures, but this is incredibly afforable.  Hwaseong Palace's entrance fee was only 1,500 won - about $1.50!  For that you get as much time as you want to take in the palace - which was the location for a Korean historical drama (most of which are set during the Joseon dynasty) - plus the performances.  You can't visit Korea and not see a palace, I think - the Joseon dynasty had a powerful influence on modern Korean culture, and many of its structures still stand today.  It'd be a shame to miss out on that during your visit when they're so cheap to see. 

When I went to Suwon I also had another landmark I needed to see.  One I've mentioned in my video blog a few times and more often to friends and family.  The one place I absolutely could not leave Korea without visiting...

A very redundant sign at Mr. Toilet House.

That would be none other than Haewoojae (or Haewooso, according to pretty much every Korean I've talked to), AKA Mr. Toilet House.  I found an image of this incredibly bizzare structure online before departing for my study abroad experience and knew instantly that I needed to find it.  Yes, it's really a house that is shaped like a toilet.  What was this place?  Why is it shaped like a toilet?  These questions plagued my mind before I finally visited this past Saturday and at long last discovered just what Mr. Toilet House is.

A word of warning to those who would visit the place: it's hard to find.  Supposedly you can take the bus there, but the difficulties I had in Suwon with the bus system made this very hard to accomplish.  In fact it was so confusing that I just took a taxi there, and even the taxi driver had a hard time at first: he had to look at the flyer from tourist information for a full three minutes before he understood what I was looking for.  Mr. Toilet House is tucked away behind a high school and down a side street.  Nothing much is back there except... well, a toilet shaped house.  So what's inside?  It's a museum about the house's late owner and former Suwon mayor Shim JaeDeok.  And toilets.

An early public toilet in Suwon.

One of Suwon's beautiful public toilets.

Communist propaganda or toilet magazine?  You decide.

An award given to Mr. Shim by the government in thanks for his efforts.



Shim Jae Deok's nameplate as mayor of Suwon.



A letter of thanks from the Turkish embassy in Seoul.

Just like the building, the story behind it is kind of odd.  Shim Jae Deok is said to have been born in an outhouse and that really helped influence his future direction.  He came to believe that all people have a right to clean and safe sanitation, and that specifically to him meant public toilets.  As part of Suwon's hosting of matches for the 2002 FIFA World Cup he promoted the construction of a number of beautiful public toilets for visitors to use.  They all have different themes too - the Dream Toilet, toilets inside traditional looking structures and even one with statues of insects outside it. 

Furthermore he worked hard to promote this ideal overseas, founding the World Toilet Association in Seoul.  This organziation helps to construct safe public toilets in needy places like Africa and southeast Asia, and has held two summits thus far.  First in Korea (the founding nation) and most recently in China.  The museum at Mr. Toilet House showcases the results of these efforts in addition to information about the man himself.  Perhaps most odd is that he actually lived in the house until his death a few years ago.  There's a room on the bottom floor that doubles as living quarters and bathroom, which my pictures will illustrate to a degree.

The large button on the left is the key to privacy in the small living quarters.  Press it and...

Voila!  You have the window frosted so that you can use the bathroom in prvacy.  Flip the switch again and..

It's clear and you can see your guests in the living room!  The standee is Mr. Shim Jae Deok, the house's late owner.

So there it is: the building shaped like a toilet.  It's certainly one of the most bizzare things I've found in Korea, though the story behind it makes a deal of sense after all.  Hard to find but worth the journey.  There are many Joseon buildings remaining in Korea to see - there's only one house shaped like a toilet.