South Korean Man's Toilet is his Castle

Step aside, Eljer, Kohler, and American Standard. Sim Jae-duck has made his political career as South Korea's Mr. Toilet by beautifying public restrooms. Now he's got a home befitting his title: a toilet-shaped domicile complete with the latest in lavatory luxury.

Sim is building the two-story house set to be finished Sunday to commemorate the inaugural meeting later this month of the World Toilet Association. The group, supported by the South Korean government, aims no less than to launch a "toilet revolution," by getting people to open their bathroom doors for the sake of improving worldwide hygiene.

"The toilet revolution should start with talking about toilet issues freely," said Song Young-kwon, head of the organizing committee for the five-day conference that opens Nov. 21.

The Seoul conference will be accompanied by a toilet expo featuring exhibits to excite the public about the cause: including a "Hansel and Gretel" bathroom made from cookies and candy that gives presents to children when they flush, and a "toilet gallery cafe" where people can sit on colorful commodes while drinking tea.

"Toilets stand central to people's lives," Sim said as workers scurried to put the finishing touches on the home - including installing the final toilet inside.

The toilet theme is central to the house named Haewoojae, or a "place to solve one's worries," shaped like a 24 1/2-foot-tall toilet bowl. Thinking of how to push forward his cause of having better hygiene and sanitation, Sim tore down his former home to build the $1.1 million building.

All of the toilet's toilets will have self-lowering seats to prevent complaints from female houseguests.

Scott's Spot is investigating rumors that Sim has licensed Ryan Homes to construct an identical model in Flushing, NY.