Han River Park Restrooms to Become More Comfortable... Seoul City to Increase Women's Facilities and Fully Renovate Amenities

Complete Remodeling of Aged Toilets with Deformation, Damage, and Odor... Ventilation Systems Replaced to Strengthen Sanitation
Remodeling Completed at 5 Locations, 44 to be Remodeled by 2024

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The restrooms at Hangang Park are becoming more convenient and comfortable.

On the 22nd, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will undertake a major renovation to completely remodel the aging restrooms in Hangang Park and install new restrooms in densely populated areas with many visitors to alleviate the inconvenience experienced by citizens when using the facilities.

The newly installed restrooms will have 1.5 times more stalls for women than for men to reduce congestion, and the remodeled restrooms will have ventilation devices such as exhaust fans completely replaced to strengthen COVID-19 prevention measures. Considering the characteristics of Hangang Park, where flooding is possible during summer, some restrooms will be converted into floating-type restrooms.

Seoul first remodeled five old restrooms that had been installed a long time ago and had deteriorated or been damaged, causing unpleasant odors. While preserving the main restroom structures, internal facilities such as tiles, partitions, and toilets were completely replaced. In particular, ventilation devices like exhaust fans were also replaced to enhance COVID-19 prevention and citizen safety. The remodeled restrooms are located near the Bicycle Park at Gwangnaru Hangang Park, near the 3rd parking lot at Jamwon Hangang Park, near the 6th parking lot at Jamwon Hangang Park, near the 3rd store at Ttukseom Hangang Park, and near the Nanji Water Playground, totaling five locations.

Starting with these five locations this year, Seoul plans to remodel a total of 44 aging restrooms by 2024. In particular, future remodeling projects will not only replace internal facilities but also improve the design. A design reflecting the bright and clear image of Hangang Park will be developed and applied to create even more pleasant restrooms.

Additional restrooms will be installed in densely populated areas with many visitors. Especially for women's restrooms, which have high usage rates and long waiting lines, the number of stalls will be increased by 1.5 times compared to men's restrooms to reduce congestion. Outdoor washbasins will also be added outside the restrooms to prevent long waits for sink use.

This year, one restroom will be newly installed and available for use starting in September. By 2024, a total of 19 restrooms will be expanded. From next year, new installations will be promoted based on big data analysis of visitor flow in the park, focusing on locations with high demand.

Some restrooms in Hangang Park that are prone to flooding during summer will be converted into floating-type restrooms. Starting with two restrooms at Ichon Hangang Park in November this year, a total of 15 restrooms will be converted into floating-type restrooms by next year.

Hangang Park can be flooded when the discharge volume from Paldang Dam increases due to heavy summer rains. In such cases, facilities within the park may be damaged or corroded. To prevent damage caused by flooding, restrooms located in low-lying areas will be converted to floating structures.

Hwang In-sik, head of the Hangang Project Headquarters of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, “As the number of visitors to Hangang Park increases, the demand for restroom use is also expanding. Seoul is doing its best to create a safe Hangang Park even amid the COVID-19 situation by disinfecting restrooms three times a day. We will continue to improve Hangang Park restrooms on the premise that comfortable restrooms allow citizens to visit the park comfortably.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.