Conflicts Escalate... Mandatory Floor Noise Management Committees in Apartment Complexes Remain 'Unclear'

[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Kyung-jo] The government's plan to mandate the establishment of the 'Inter-floor Noise Management Committee' as part of the measures to improve inter-floor noise in apartment complexes, announced last August, is facing difficulties in passing the related legislation. With the National Assembly currently struggling over the budget bill, it seems unlikely that the law will be passed within this year.

According to industry sources on the 13th, Gyeonggi Province recently released the 17th revision of the Standard Apartment Management Regulations. The regulations include provisions allowing the formation of an Inter-floor Noise Management Committee, but the revision did not make it mandatory.

When the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the 'Apartment Inter-floor Noise Improvement Plan,' it stated that complexes of a certain size (500 households or more) would be required to establish an Inter-floor Noise Management Committee. However, the amendment to the Apartment Management Act specifying this has yet to pass the National Assembly.

The Inter-floor Noise Management Committee is a resident self-governing organization that mediates and resolves conflicts within the complex, provides guidance on complaint procedures, and conducts preventive education. It is composed of the management office manager, representatives from each building, and resident (tenant) representatives. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport decided to make its establishment mandatory to activate residents' autonomous resolution functions.

In this regard, on September 9, Representative Kim Hak-yong introduced an amendment to the Apartment Management Act. The new provision establishes the legal basis for the mandatory formation of the Inter-floor Noise Management Committee in apartment complexes and allows the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to select and commend complexes with excellent noise management. The amendment also includes provisions for the state to provide loans from the Housing and Urban Fund for repairs, improvements, and installation of noise reduction materials in apartment complexes to reduce inter-floor noise.

However, the amendment has not even been scheduled for discussion since its referral. Currently, the National Assembly is divided over next year's budget, making it difficult to address such issues promptly. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has stated that it can only monitor the situation in the National Assembly.

The apartment inter-floor noise improvement plan was announced as the first follow-up detailed measure to realize national housing stability. According to the Korea Environment Corporation's Inter-floor Noise Neighbor Center, the number of inter-floor noise complaints reached 46,000 last year.

At the time, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong emphasized, "South Korea is already a tough place with much stress and conflict, and inter-floor noise is a representative issue that exacerbates this. Although it is not easy, we can no longer neglect it. We must actively address inter-floor noise through research and development, institutional measures, and residents' efforts."

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