By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Bidets offer comfort and luxury to men and women of all ages. A small Korean company is working on entering the overseas market with high quality models.
Izen, a mid-sized Korean corporation led by Yoo Byung-ki, focuses on hygiene and health for promoting its brand.
``After suffering ill-health for several years, I was prompted to develop the bidet,'' said Yoo, CEO of Izen.
The Izen bidet has been certified as a medical device by the Food and Drug Administration, a first for a bidet.
It has a specialized ``three nozzles in one pocket'' system. Two nozzles play basic roles as with other bidets. The washing nozzle is for washing the area around the anus. Izen has developed a tremulous washing nozzle to enhance cleansing ability.
The bidet nozzle is designed for women to wash their genitalia. By adding air bubbles to the nine holes in the bidet nozzle, the water jet from the Izen bidet nozzle is much more tender than other bidets.
The third nozzle, the core of the Izen bidet, can help those who suffer from constipation. By injecting a jet of water into the rectum, the bidet administers an enema. It is effective for relieving constipation and removing feces lodged in the intestines.
With the capacity to provide medical treatment, this particular nozzle has been patented in foreign countries such as the United States, Japan and China.
The bidet is equipped with a warm air dryer for better sanitation and a water pressure pump for use in homes with low hydraulic pressure.
Not satisfied with its success in the domestic market, Izen aims for wider distribution. It was released in Shanghai through China Corporation in 2004 and Izen America in Virginia, U.S., in March 2008.
``The U.S. bidet market is almost barren, but the U.S. has such large buying power. We will carve out a spot in the new marketplace,'' Yoo said.
Yoo selected the location of Fairfax County as Izen's U.S. headquarter office because the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority led by President and CEO General L. Gordon provides a wide array of free services and information designed to promote Fairfax County as a business location for international companies and organization.
``Located near Washington, D.C., Izen America will be a bridgehead for pioneering the bidet market in the U.S.,'' Yoo said.