"Can't Stand It Anymore" Neighbor Noise Conflicts Escalate to Murder... Is There No Way to Stop It?

Increased Time at Home Due to COVID-19... Rising Conflicts Over Noise Between Neighbors
Escalating to Violent Crimes Like Weapon Assaults and Murder
Experts Advise "Seek Institutional Help If Parties Cannot Resolve Conflicts"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] There is a growing call for measures as severe noise conflicts between neighbors are increasingly escalating into tragic incidents involving weapons.

On the 27th, a man in his 30s, Mr. A, was arrested by the police in Yeosu City, Jeollanam-do, after killing a neighboring couple following a dispute over noise between floors. Mr. A, who lived on a high floor of an apartment, got into an altercation with the couple living above him around 12:35 a.m. that day and fatally stabbed them with a hiking knife he usually carried. He also inflicted serious injuries on the couple's parents with the weapon and surrendered to the police 20 minutes after the incident, being arrested on the spot at his home.

During the police investigation, Mr. A stated that he committed the crime impulsively out of anger caused by suffering from noise between floors. It is known that he had reported the noise issue to relevant authorities on the 17th.

As conflicts between neighbors increasingly escalate into violent crimes, the seriousness of noise between floors is growing. On the 14th, in an apartment in Uijeongbu City, Gyeonggi Province, a man in his 40s, Mr. B, who claimed to be a victim of noise between floors, was investigated for assault and threats after he went to the upstairs neighbor's door and struck it with a three-section baton and shoes.

On the 16th, in a villa in Incheon, a man in his 50s was arrested on charges of special injury after throwing a weapon at a downstairs resident who protested against noise between floors.

Especially, with the spread of COVID-19 leading to reduced outings and increased time spent at home due to telecommuting, conflicts over noise between neighbors have intensified. Last year, the Korea Environment Corporation's Noise Between Floors Neighbor Center received a total of 42,250 phone consultation requests regarding noise between floors, a significant increase compared to 26,257 in 2019, 28,231 in 2018, and 22,849 in 2017, years before the COVID-19 pandemic. From January to August this year alone, 32,077 consultation requests were received.

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The government has begun preparing countermeasures. According to the post-confirmation system for noise between floors, which the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will implement from July next year, apartment complexes with 30 or more households must select sample households before approval of use to measure the floor impact sound insulation performance, and local governments are required to verify this. However, if the recommended standards are not met, local governments can only recommend improvements such as supplementary construction, but since this is not a mandatory provision, there are criticisms that its effectiveness is limited.

Experts suggest that the golden time to resolve noise between floors disputes is six months. On the 27th, in an interview with KBS's 'Newsroom ET,' Cha Sang-gon, director of the Housing Culture Improvement Research Institute, explained, "In cases of noise between floors, if it is within six months, the noise is perceived only as noise, but after six months, passing through a transitional period and exceeding one year, emotions get involved in the noise issue." He added, "It is better to approach the issue objectively before six months, when both parties can view it objectively."

He advised seeking help from government-operated institutions if it is judged impossible to resolve the dispute between the parties. Director Cha said, "If you contact the Noise Between Floors Neighbor Center operated by the Ministry of Environment or the institutions run by LH, you can receive great help."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.