‘I gotta pee’: TikToker says Koreans were shocked by how S’poreans talk about toilet breaks
A video comparing how Singaporeans and Koreans excuse themselves to use the toilet has left many netizens wondering: Are Singaporeans simply too honest?
On July 31, Singaporean TikTok user @ariyakult shared a video recalling what she described as her “biggest culture shock” when talking to her South Korean friends.
In the clip, @ariyakult recounted casually telling them: “Oh, I gotta go pee”.
She said they reacted with disbelief and disgust, telling her that it was “too much information” (TMI).
Her Korean friends then asked whether Singaporeans actually tell each other they “gotta pee”, to which she replied that they do — and can sometimes be even more blunt.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, we tell each other like, oh we gotta go shit and stuff,’” she said, leaving her Korean friends stunned.
“Apologies to my 친구s (friends) but no matter the race, language or religion in SG... we always gotta say we need to pee!” she wrote in the caption.
‘I’m about to destroy this toilet’
The video has garnered more than 650,000 views, 101,600 likes and 850 comments.
Many Singaporean netizens found the comparison relatable.
One user wrote: “I’m telling people that I gotta go piss, shit, fart, and everything”.
Others pointed out that Singaporeans are not the only ones who speak so openly.
One user from the United States commented: “I’m in the States and I’ll straight up say ‘I’m about to destroy this toilet, I’ll be back’”.
However, some netizens felt Singaporeans were too direct when talking about going to the toilet.
One commenter, who said they had lived in both Singapore and Korea, wrote that Singaporeans announcing exactly what they were about to do was “just too much”, adding that in many countries people would simply say they were going to the toilet.
Others were curious about Korean social norms.
“So do they just stand up and leave when they have to go pee while with other people?” One user asked. “That seems so awkward.”
Another wondered how close friends in Korea navigate such situations, “I can understand if y’all aren’t close but... if you guys are friends, how do friends have deep conversations in Korea?”
Stomp has reached out to ariyakult for comment.
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