Foreign tourists in Busan are turning to social media to find restrooms, swapping locations and access codes for toilets in shops and cafes.
A search for “Busan restroom passwords” on Xiaohongshu — China's leading lifestyle and social commerce platform — returned dozens of posts as of Wednesday. In some posts, users share restroom locations and entry codes, while others checked whether the information was still accurate.
The posts highlight a basic inconvenience for visitors at a time when the southern port city is welcoming a growing number of international tourists.
As of June, Busan had 2,507 public restrooms and privately owned toilets open to the public, according to figures released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Wednesday. That ranked ninth among South Korea’s 17 provinces and major cities.
Visitors are also turning to apps and online forums for help, such as the KORE restroom finder app, which lists about 64,000 facilities nationwide. It also lets users update locations, opening hours and other details. On Reddit, travelers have asked where to find restrooms in Busan and when they are open.
However, Busan has no dedicated city-run service that provides restroom information, with critics suggesting that the lack of clear guidance has led visitors to use private restrooms without permission.
Busan said it plans to add public restroom information to its existing map service and is considering a separate app.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
