By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Together with shampoo, toothpaste and soap, another arguable necessity in an average Korean household shower stall would be the ``Italy Towel,'' a rough-surfaced buffing mitt that tones up the skin.
Having been a centerpiece of the local bathing culture since the early 60s, the green-colored fabric is touted as one of the most clever homegrown inventions that now enjoys annual sales worth more than 10 billion won.
``It should've been called `Korean towel,''' says Lee Jung-do, a sales executive of Gold Sangsa, a mass producer of the shower cloth, regretting that the name would've helped promote Korean culture more widely.
At the time when the towel was first introduced in the southern port city of Busan, the glove was made out of 100 percent viscose rayon imported from Italy, which gave birth to its name. In fact, there is no `Italy Towel' in Italy.
Since being patented in 1962, the harsh cloth spread rapidly in the domestic market and began its first exports to Japan in the early 1990s.
``It coincides with the time when Korean massage experts started flocking to Japan for better business,'' said Kim Soo-chul, the secretary general of the Korea Bath Business Association. ``They took with them their handy Italy towels, and the Japanese, who share a similar tub-bathing culture like us, enjoyed what the small fabric can do.''
The scrubbing towel basically exfoliates dead skin, making your skin soft, said Lee, adding, ``But you have to make sure the skin is ready for exfoliation by resting your body in warm water for at least 15 minutes.''
Lee, who makes routine trips to Japan, China and other Asian countries for promotional purposes, says about 35 percent of the company's annual revenue comes from exports.
Another towel maker, Mankyung Industrial, which offers 10 variations of the viscose-made cleanser, said it actually relies more on overseas sales.
``The potential customer base outside of Korea is immense,'' said Lee Kyung-hwa, the company's liaison, ``so we're focusing more on establishing new business partners abroad.''
Priced at an average 1,000 won per piece, the product is often known to be immune to the slow economy, she said, explaining ``That's because no matter how tough the going is, people can spare 1,000 won for the good of their body.''
The owner of Silloam Fomentation Spa, one of the top three biggest saunas in Seoul, agreed, saying that customers, who consider the cloth as disposable, buy a new one almost every visit because they forget to take it with them after bathing.
``Despite the `luxurification' of bathing methods, the Italy Towel will probably stick around as an all-time favorite way of cleaning,'' said Kim of the bath group.