Yeoju City Renovates Sinnyeuksa Tourist Site Public Restroom for First Time in 40 Years

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] The dilapidated public restroom at Sinnyeuksa Tourist Site, built in the 1980s, has been transformed into Yeoju City's flagship smart public restroom featuring modern conveniences.

Yeoju City announced on the 11th that it completed remodeling of the public restroom (289-6 Cheongsong-dong) located within Sinnyeuksa Tourist Site, with improvements including air conditioning units, hot water facilities, heated seats, waiting chairs, automatic doors, lighting, emergency bells, and additional toilet stalls, finishing the work on the 30th of last month.

This project represents a comprehensive improvement of the aging restroom built in the 1980s. The significance is particularly great because Mayor Lee Chung-woo directly participated in this facility when he was a grade 8 civil servant, and now it returns to the people after many years.

Sinnyeuksa Tourist Site, home to the Yeoju Namhangang Floating Bridge, is Yeoju City's representative tourist attraction. The restroom sees the highest number of visitors among public facilities in the area. Considering that a total of 410,000 visitors came during the recent '2025 Yeoju Ogok Naru Festival' (10.31.~11.2.), it is estimated that more than 40,000 people per day have been using the newly renovated restroom.

■ Transcending the Limitations of 1980s Facilities, a "Visitor-Tailored" Space

The existing building constructed in the 1980s had significant inconveniences due to its limited space and aging facilities. Through this remodeling, it has been transformed into a comfortable environment suitable for year-round use with the installation of air conditioning units, instant hot water systems, and automatic doors.

In particular, heated seats installed in the women's restroom and waiting chairs in both men's and women's restrooms were implemented following the careful suggestions of Han Ji-yeon, Director of Tourism and Sports. This is a measure that considers both elderly visitors and users during winter months.

To prepare for emergency situations, the emergency bells in the women's restroom were increased from one to two, and emergency bell auxiliary switches were installed in all women's toilet stalls to enhance safety.

■ Brighter, More Convenient, "Maximizing Usage Efficiency"

The women's restroom was expanded from 5 stalls to 8 stalls, resolving waiting issues, and an additional washbasin was installed at each entrance, improving usage efficiency.

Additionally, outside the restroom, two new grating drain outlets were installed, two traditional-style roof ventilation pipes were added, and indirect lighting and exterior light fixtures were installed to simultaneously enhance visual and functional quality. These additional construction works resulted from the proposal by Han Sang-hyun, CEO of Samjung, aiming for "completion quality exceeding the design plans."

■ "Smart Changes" Experienced by Residents and Tourists

Through this project, the Sinnyeuksa Tourist Site restroom has been reborn as a space symbolizing tourism service quality, transcending a mere sanitation facility. Air conditioning units, hot water facilities, heated seats, waiting chairs, automatic doors, and lighting—all features designed with visitor satisfaction and stay duration in mind—are receiving praise from on-site visitors, noting that what was once a space to pass through hurriedly is now a pleasant space to stay.

Mayor Lee Chung-woo said, "We will continue to make efforts to improve tourism infrastructure that residents and tourists can experience."