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By Han Yoon-ji
A woman who has not taken a shower for 16 years has recently appeared on tvN's show “Martian Virus,” shocking viewers across the nation.
Seol Yu-kyoung, 28, revealed that she had “not taken a shower since the fifth grade.”
Prompted by the shocked gasps that rose from the audience, she added that the reason behind her behavior was that it was bothersome and did not understand why anyone would waste precious money on cleaning themselves.
Instead, Seol dries sweat under the air conditioner, and she's swapped her soap and body lotion for wet tissues. Seol stated calmly that she wipes her face, feet and hands with tissues, but, rest assured, does wash her hair and brush her teeth―hardly a great feat but one nonetheless for a woman hasn't stepped into a bathtub in a decade and a half.
“I'm still cleaner than the woman who didn't brush her teeth for 10 years,” Seol defended herself indignantly. “I spray myself with perfume throughout the day and change clothes two to three times a day.”
Dubbed a Martian by the show, Seol scratched her itchy body and emitted an odor that no perfume could mask during the shoot.
One of the hosts even flippantly asked, “Who in their right mind would fall for a woman who doesn't shower?” Garnering great surprise from all, the Martian smiled and revealed that she is engaged with someone. She has promised her fiance that she will start showering once they get married.
Fortunately, Seol finally stepped into the bathtub after the broadcast. “It was really refreshing,” she gushed, proud of herself. “I know realize why people take showers.”
The writer is a Korea Times intern. yoonjh@student.cis.edu.hk