Someone defecated in a public shower room the Seoul city government built for people running on Namsan, the second such case this year.
A user left feces in a men's shower booth at the Namsan runners' shower facility once in January and once in July, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Jungbu Park and Leisure Center on the 1st.
The Namsan runners' shower facility opened last October as part of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's push to expand exercise facilities close to where people live and improve residents' health. As Namsan established itself as a leisure and tourism destination for running and cycling among both Koreans and foreign visitors, the city set up the facility so people could wash and change clothes free of charge before and after exercising.
After confirming the first case of improper use inside a shower booth in January, the city posted notices inside both the men's and women's shower rooms asking users to observe basic rules in the shared space. The notice said a serious case of someone defecating inside a shower booth had recently occurred, and warned that such conduct causes great shock and inconvenience to other users and could lead to operational restrictions, including the suspension of shared supplies. The city also said it earnestly asks users to observe basic order and common sense in the shower room, just as they observe etiquette while running.
But a similar incident recurred just six months after the notice went up. Both cases occurred in the men's shower room, though it has not been confirmed whether the same person was responsible or whether the acts were deliberate.
Users must write their name and entry time by hand at the center's entrance and pass a QR code verification process. But because the shower booths are single-occupancy spaces designed to protect privacy, it is difficult to monitor what happens inside.
A city official said 12,862 people used the Namsan runners' shower facility between its opening last October and the 27th of this month, and that with only two cases of feces being left behind, the city views them as deviant acts by a very small number of users. The official said the city is stepping up notices and guidance to prevent a recurrence.
Defecating or urinating on roads, in parks or other places where many people pass and failing to clean it up can constitute public urination under the Minor Offenses Punishment Act, carrying a fine of 50,000 won.
