He?s known as South Korea?s ?Mr Toilet? for his campaigns as a politician to beautify public restrooms.

Now, Sim Jae-duck is taking the lavatory life to a new level ? and moving into a toilet. Sim is building a two-storey toilet-shaped house set to be finished soon 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.

Representatives from 60 countries will gather in Seoul to spur the creation of national toilet associations of their own and spread the word about hygiene. Organisers argue the issue deserves greater attention and cite UN figures that some 2.5 billion people live without proper sanitation or water supplies.

?The toilet revolution should start with talking about toilet issues freely,? said Song Young-kwon, head of the organising committee for the five-day conference that opens November 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 colourful commodes while drinking tea.