Unprecedented Toilet Revolution
Unprecedented Toilet Revolution
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  • 승인 2007.03.16 10:00
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Toilets are essential places in our daily lives. However, an appalling 40% of the world population lives without any toilets or proper sanitation, causing enormous losses of human life owing to the diffusion of disease, says Chairman Sim Jae-duck, Organizing Committee for the Inaugural General Assembly of the World Toilet Association. Sim concurrently serves as a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.

These days, he is very busy to prepare for this upcoming historical Inaugural General Assembly by visiting envoys in Seoul's diplomatic corps to brief about the necessity and the importance of WTAA. He also travels abroad to persuade countries to join this WTAA and hold press tours for Seoul Foreign Correspondent Club journalists and putting on toilet-associated workshops and symposiums.

In an exclusive New Year interview with The Korea IT Times in his office, located on the 7th floor of Korea Tourism Corporation (KNTO), Seoul Sim epitomizes: "Through the improvement of toilet culture, the significance of the Inaugural General Assembly of the World Toilet Association lies in the ultimate goal to contribute to global cooperation and the human race life' quality improvement."

Over 2 million die yearly

About the significance of toilet culture which is not another Korean wave (Hanryu) any more but an issue of every human being across the globe, the chairman first of all asserts that changing a toilet is an indispensable task for the sake of the human race's health sanitation improvement.

As its argument, he explained that 2.6 billion people, 40% of the world's population, are living without a toilet and due to this, yearly over 2 million die from infectious diseases, according to World Health Organization statistics.

Sim further spoke of the fact that the UN also decided to reduce the number of persons who possessed an inadequate toilet by half by the year 2015, announcing Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). With a focus on underdeveloped countries, he committed himself to saving the human race through the spread of a toilet culture.

Secondly, he proposes that if a toilet is changed, water shortage problem the world faced, would be able to be overcome. Actually, 60% of the water a man uses during a day is consumed in a toilet, according to a survey of a certain research institute.

Accordingly, provided that all countries of the world use a toilet system which consumes less water in conjunction with a perfect sewage disposal facility, Sim explained that any water shortage problem will be overcome considerably.

Ultimately, the World Toilet Association aims to create a beautiful and cultural space concept toilet, thereby improving the life standard of the human race.

For an instance, in an exemplary toilet in front of Hwasung temporary palace, one of the representative cultural assets in Suwon, music flows from the top if movement is perceived.

Moreover, this toilet provides users with a sign to indicate usage which is operated by solar heat. With appreciating Vivaldi's music and seeing Picasso's painting in a toilet, Sim said that in the future the World Toilet Association will design ITbased toilets in which users can see world news.

Another World Revolution

As to a question why the WTA World Toilet Association is necessary, the chairman asserted: "In order to accomplish policy tasks successfully in connection with problems that 2.6 billion people from underdeveloped countries are living without a toilet and Millennium Development Goals, an international organization which converges toilet-related affairs and can propel them is urgently necessary."

In conjunction with a toilet, it is said that already the WTO World Toilet Organization exists and does several events. However, there should be an international body to establish a close collaboration system between countries so that international action can be made in case of worldwide emergency disaster circumstance. WTA World Toilet Association can achieve this, officials involved in WTA point out.

Accordingly, to improve underdeveloped countries' toilets, to improve their sanitation level and to share the outcome of each country toilet culture movement globally, an international toilet organization in tandem with UN will be necessary, Sim asserts.

As the first step, the Inaugural General Assembly of the World Toilet Association in which 2,000 persons including health environment-related international organization representatives, high-ranking officials from 70 countries all over the world, Toilet Association representatives, and NGOs will take part, takes place over five days from November 21, 2007 in the COEX Convention Center, Seoul, Korea.

As regarding toilet culture movement ripple effects, Chairman Sim emphasizes that he is certain that this toilet culture movement will bring about even greater effect than the World Cup or Olympics, adding that to that end, the World Toilet Association must be reborn as an international organization.

Chairman Sim began this toilet culture movement since 10 years ago when he served as Mayor of Suwon, according to persons familiar with him well. The chairman who reflects upon the past 10 years, saying that at that time, approaching a toilet with a sort of culture movement was an unaccustomed work, assesses: "For now, the toilet culture improvement movement which began so, is becoming another interesting activity led by Korea that is recognized from the world."

Notably, he assessed that Korea's toilet, a chronic disease as well as ourselves shameful self-portrait itself, has stretched itself as a culture movement sharing with the world.

Thus, the Toilet Revolution that Korea accomplished during a short period over the past 20 years is being assessed as an unprecedented successful example in the world too, Sim concluded. Hence, the Inaugural General Assembly of the World Toilet Association will serve as the first stage for Korea to allow in the meanwhile outcomes to spring internationally.


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