Arriving Near Seoul Station: A Curious Toilet Custom

we take a closer look at Seoul, a city known for its modern skyline, well-maintained streets, and efficient public transit—yet also home to a curious practice in some older buildings where flushing toilet paper is discouraged. We discuss how this custom emerged from narrow pipe systems and less dissolvable paper in decades past, and how contemporary infrastructure upgrades are changing restroom habits. Along the way, we explore Seoul’s postwar rebuilding, the “Miracle on the Han River,” and why even the city’s most spotless areas can still reveal a few lingering quirks.