A laundry treating apparatus , comprising: a cabinet ; a tub provided in the cabinet ; a drum rotatably provided in the tub and configured to receive laundry therein through a tub opening in the tub and a corresponding introduction port in the cabinet ; a detergent storage device provided below the introduction port in the cabinet ; a water supply device configured to supply water to the detergent storage device ; and a detergent dissolution device configured to dissolve detergent discharged from the detergent storage device in water supplied by the water supply device and to then supply the dissolved detergent and water to the tub , whereby the detergent dissolution device comprises: a dissolution box configured to receive detergent and water discharged from the detergent storage device ; a dissolution flow path and a pump configured to discharge the detergent and water from dissolution box and to then resupply the discharged detergent and water back to the dissolution box so as to circulate the detergent and water and dissolve the detergent in the water, wherein the dissolution flow path comprises a first dissolution flow path to guide the detergent and water received in the dissolution box from the dissolution box to the pump and a second dissolution flow path to guide the detergent and water discharged from the pump to the dissolution box ; a tub supply flow path to supply the detergent dissolved in the water from the dissolution box to the tub ; and a flow path switching valve to connect the second dissolution flow path and the tub supply flow path to the pump , and to selectively open the second dissolution flow path and the tub supply flow path . a cabinet ; a tub provided in the cabinet ; a drum rotatably provided in the tub and configured to receive laundry therein through a tub opening in the tub and a corresponding introduction port in the cabinet ; a detergent storage device provided below the introduction port in the cabinet ; a water supply device configured to supply water to the detergent storage device ; and a detergent dissolution device configured to dissolve detergent discharged from the detergent storage device in water supplied by the water supply device and to then supply the dissolved detergent and water to the tub , a dissolution box configured to receive detergent and water discharged from the detergent storage device ; a dissolution flow path and a pump configured to discharge the detergent and water from dissolution box and to then resupply the discharged detergent and water back to the dissolution box so as to circulate the detergent and water and dissolve the detergent in the water, wherein the dissolution flow path comprises a first dissolution flow path to guide the detergent and water received in the dissolution box from the dissolution box to the pump and a second dissolution flow path to guide the detergent and water discharged from the pump to the dissolution box ; a tub supply flow path to supply the detergent dissolved in the water from the dissolution box to the tub ; and a flow path switching valve to connect the second dissolution flow path and the tub supply flow path to the pump , and to selectively open the second dissolution flow path and the tub supply flow path . <EOS>