"Mr. Toilet" Former Suwon Mayor Sim Jae-deok Remembered at 16th Memorial Service

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] A 16th memorial service for the late former Suwon Mayor Sim Jae-deok was held on the 14th at a tomb in Duchan-ri, Won-sam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin City.

The memorial service, organized by the (Association) Mr. Toilet Sim Jae-deok Memorial Project, was attended by approximately 50 people including his widow Seon Jeong-seon, his son Shim Young-chan, Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun, Hwang Dae-ho, Chair of the Cultural, Sports and Tourism Committee of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, Choi Ho-un, Chair of (Association) National Heritage Keepers Alliance (Chairman of Hwaseong Research Society), Jo Myeong-ja, former Suwon City Council Speaker, Jeon Heung-seop, former Deputy Director of the Suwon Culture Center, Kim Woo-young, Editorial Director of Suwon Ilbo, Kim Chung-young, former Chairman of Hwaseong Research Society, former Suwon City civil servants, and citizens. The participants mourned the deceased and honored his contributions and character during his lifetime.

At the memorial service, Mayor Lee Jae-jun said, "Former Mayor Sim Jae-deok drew the future blueprint for Suwon and prepared for Suwon's tomorrow," and "He also informed the world about the value of hygiene and life through a toilet culture movement."

He continued, "We have the responsibility to further illuminate the path that Former Mayor Sim Jae-deok opened for us," adding "We will steadily pursue the ideals he cherished."

Former Suwon Mayor Sim Jae-deok (1939-2009) was born in Majang-myeon, Icheon City in 1939 and graduated from Suwon Shinpung Elementary School, Bukjung Middle School, Suwon Agricultural High School, and Seoul National University. He served as a teacher at Suwon Agricultural High School, a professor at Anseong Agricultural College, director of the Sericulture Division at Gyeonggi Provincial Government, director of the Suwon Culture Center, and advisory committee chair for the Hwaseong Palace Restoration Promotion Committee. He also served as Suwon Mayor for the first and second democratically elected terms.

He left numerous achievements including the "Beautiful Bathroom Improvement Project," UNESCO World Heritage designation of Hwaseong Fortress, restoration of Hwaseong Palace, ecological development of Suwon Stream, year-round opening of Gwanggyo Mountain, and bringing the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup to Suwon, earning him the title "Master of Administration."

In 1999, former Mayor Sim founded the Korean Toilet Association and took office as its first chairman. He was so devoted to toilet-related initiatives that he earned the nickname "Mr. Toilet." He developed the "Beautiful Toilet Culture Movement," raising Suwon City's public bathrooms to the nation's highest standard.

Even after stepping down as Suwon Mayor, he continued his efforts in the toilet culture movement. Former Mayor Sim was elected as the organizing committee chair for the "World Toilet Association (WTA) Founding General Meeting" at the 6th World Toilet Representatives Conference held in November 2006, and was elected as the first chairman at the WTA Founding General Meeting held in Seoul in November 2007.

To commemorate the founding of the WTA, former Mayor Sim demolished the house where he had lived for over 30 years and built "Hae-u-jae," a structure modeled after a toilet bowl. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2007, he continued his activities vigorously until his death on January 14, 2009.

The bereaved family donated Hae-u-jae to Suwon City in 2009, and Suwon City converted it into a "Toilet Culture Exhibition Hall," which is open to citizens free of charge.