‘Nude mansion’ sparks anger in Korean Christian saint’s hometown
Mansion offering tennis and other outdoor activities had been closed before after backlash from nearby residents
By Lee Han-soo
The reopening of a “nude mansion” in South Korea’s Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, has reignited conflict between guests and residents.
Locals, mostly registered with a nearby Catholic church, have lambasted the mansion as provocative and un-Christian, while its owner claims being naked in the compound of his own property is a freedom that cannot be challenged. The mansion’s guests have been seen playing tennis and other outdoor activities while naked by people walking on a nearby road.
Another criticism is the mansion’s location: next to the birthplace of St. John Baptist Nam Chong-sam.
“Whenever I go to pick herbs or hike the back mountains, I can see the nudists at their mansion,” a resident said. “I can’t just close my eyes whenever I go to the mountains, can I?”
The mansion was built in 2009 and is operated by a naturist group here. It was shut down the same year after a fierce backlash from locals. But it reopened recently, offering guests venues for outdoor activities they can enjoy while naked.