For nearly 30 years, Seo Seung Ho has been cleaning the windows of Seoul's tallest skyscraper, Lotte World Tower, whose tower sits 550 meters above sea level.
It's a job he finds reliable and well-paying, but for it he must confront his greatest fear: emptiness.
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Every day, from the 125th floor, he and his colleagues board the gondola that descends to the fifth tallest building in the world, in order to keep its glass facades sparkling.
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“I was afraid of heights, so I never thought I would do this job,” Seo Seung-ho originally says.
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“But I was struggling to make a living, and this job was relatively well paid compared to other jobs, so I plucked up the courage and went for it,” he adds.
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His team of eight people (including himself) barely manages to clean the tower, which has 42,000 windows, completely every year.
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The main challenge they face is the weather: the gondola is “very affected by the wind” and “we can’t clean every day because of the weather,” Mr. Seo explains.
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A gust of wind once caused the window cleaners tied to the basket to lose their balance.
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Another time, they had to wait for an hour, stuck in the gondola, which was shaking in the strong winds, for the weather to calm down.
“Amazing view”
These weather conditions, not just wind, but also rain and snow, mean that “we usually start in April and work until the end of September or the beginning of October,” or “only about 65” 70 days a year, explains Seo. . Seung Ho.
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Cleaners apply diatomaceous earth, a natural mineral powder, to windows. It's an effective product because it polishes window glass without scratching it, and prevents residents below from finding themselves soaked in soapy water.
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“It's an excellent method, but when the wind blows, the rough particles sting your eyes,” says Mr. Seo.
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In addition to the weather, “the conical and slender tower shape makes it difficult to get down and clean” on washers that prefer “straight, square buildings.”
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“It often happens that the cage is pushed to the side and then twists as it lands,” explains Seo Seung Ho.
Despite everything, he thinks his work is “very useful,” especially since it offers a “wonderful view” of Seoul.
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Lotte World Tower houses a shopping mall and receives approximately 50 million visitors annually.
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The observation deck located on the 123rd floor has become one of the most popular attractions in South Korea.
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By cleaning the windows on this floor, Mr. Siu feels “proud” and like he is “contributing a little” to showing visitors the best of the city.
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