The Atlas Obscura Podcast Mr. Toilet House
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Mar 9, 2026 Casey Killian, a toilet industry executive with firsthand experience of South Korea's toilet reforms, shares colorful anecdotes about Shim Jae-duk. They explore Shim's origin myths, his push to upgrade public restrooms for the 2002 World Cup, and why he built a house shaped like a toilet. The conversation highlights Suwon's toilet museum, quirky exhibits, and modern Korean restroom innovations.
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Mr Toilet Born In An Outhouse
- Shim Jae-duk, nicknamed Mr. Toilet, built his identity around toilets after founding the World Toilet Association.
- He claimed to have been born in an outhouse and embraced that origin as a personal and public story.
World Cup Sparked A Toilet Revolution
- Hosting the 2002 World Cup pushed Suwon to drastically upgrade public restrooms as part of city beautification.
- Mayor Shim invested millions to renovate hundreds of toilets, turning them into clean, pleasant facilities.
Firsthand Memory Of Horrific Public Toilets
- Casey Killian recalled public toilets in 1990s South Korea as mostly dirty squatter-style facilities lacking paper.
- He described the humiliating experience of squatting over porcelain in poor conditions during his mission work.