Here's an oddball head's up for travelers: South Korea recently launched a unique kind of theme park. The Restroom Cultural Park highlights the history of toilets. This news may not nudge you to nab a ticket to Seoul, but it did prompt Roto-Rooter Minneapolis to issue a press release commending the theme park. The new sight is in the town of Suwon, a 30 minute train ride from Seoul. Just so your trip there doesn't all go to waste, stop by the walled fortress of Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This from PR Newswire:

"In recent news, South Korea has gained a lot of pop culture media attention from the rise of "Gangnam Style" to cosmetic trends for men. Now, the innovative nation is responsible for bringing a new theme park to the world. According to a recent Daily Mail article, earlier this year the "world's first toilet theme park" opened, aptly named the Restroom Cultural Park. Created by Sim Jae-Duck, a visionary and aficionado in the toilet market, this theme park features a gallery and sculpture garden of toilet-themed art. Roto-Rooter Minneapolis, part of America's leading plumbing and drain service company, celebrates this new park, citing it as an important reference for those interested in learning more about plumbing and its history.

According to a recent press statement from Roto-Rooter Minneapolis, the company comments, "When people are asked about the history of plumbing, they are most likely only going to be able to remember the lessons they learned during their school years about the Roman aqueducts. South Korea's Restroom Cultural Park shows that the innovation of plumbing is part of global innovation that continues to be treasured by cultures across the globe. Although many may not appreciate the presence of toilets in their everyday lives, this theme park can help individuals gain perspective about the importance of modern plumbing."

The article expresses how the theme park manages to showcase the design of toilets, by using a toilet-shaped building to house the art gallery. In the article, theme park employee Lee Youn-Souk explains the importance of the destination, "We just focus on eating every day, and we sometimes overlook the importance of the toilet. We already know upon waking up in the morning we should go to the toilet but people don't want to talk about this." In agreement, Roto-Rooter Minneapolis explains that this park helps bring the subject of toilets into greater conversation. In its press statement, the company explains, "Perhaps this theme park will get people talking about ways they can improve water conservation and waste-reduction efforts, such as by using ultra-efficient low-flow toilets."

According to the article, the park's host city of Suwon continuously celebrates the importance of sanitation, even awarding local businesses for having optimal toilet facilities. Roto-Rooter Minneapolis concludes in its press statement, "Sanitation is an increasingly important factor in modern plumbing, so it is great that this city has made so many efforts to perpetuate those values."