"Compact Cars Prohibited from Parking in Regular Spaces... Only Use Designated Spots," Apartment Notice

Average Number of Parking Spaces per Apartment Household Nationwide: 1.05
Parking Conflicts in Apartment Complexes Likely to Intensify in the Future

Apartment parking lot stock photo. Photo by The Asia Business Daily DB

Controversy has arisen after a notice was posted in an apartment complex prohibiting compact cars from parking in regular vehicle parking spaces. On the 13th, an online community featured a post titled "Notice Prohibiting Compact Cars from Parking in Regular Vehicle Spaces at an Apartment," along with a photo. The notice in the photo, titled "Strengthened Enforcement of Compact Car Parking in the Underground Parking Lot," details the enforcement targets, enforcement dates, and actions to be taken against violators. The notice was posted in July.

According to the notice, all compact cars parked in regular vehicle spaces would be subject to enforcement, with monitoring beginning the day after the notice was posted. It also warned that vehicles violating this rule would have strong adhesive stickers attached to them. The apartment management office explained, "Despite sufficient compact car-only spaces in the underground parking lot, complaints have been filed with the management office due to compact cars parking in regular vehicle spaces, leading to a shortage of spaces for regular vehicles. We will enforce compact car parking management as follows, and we ask compact car owners to refrain from parking in regular vehicle spaces and to cooperate."

Reactions from internet users who saw the post were divided. Many commented, "It would make sense if an entire floor were designated for compact cars, but otherwise, it doesn't make sense," "It's not like the parking fee is any less," and "If that's the case, just get rid of the compact car-only spaces." One user, who identified as a current management office director, stated, "There is absolutely no legal basis to prohibit compact cars from parking in regular spaces. Even if such a rule exists in the management agreement, it cannot take precedence over the law."

A notice prohibiting compact cars from parking in regular vehicle parking spaces in an apartment elevator has sparked controversy. Online community 'BobaeDream'

On the other hand, some argued that a minimum level of consideration is necessary since there are compact car-only spaces. One user pointed out, "If there were plenty of parking spaces, it wouldn't be an issue, but since there aren't enough, conflicts arise." Another user wrote, "Drivers returning home late often struggle to find parking, while compact car spaces are frequently available at those times. Consideration and concession are needed."

As car ownership increases, parking space has emerged as the most important factor when choosing an apartment. In particular, as the number of one- and two-person households grows and car ownership becomes the norm, parking space has become a key factor determining residential convenience. According to the "Apartment Report" released by the apartment living support platform "Apartment-i" around July last year, a survey of about 1,000 resident representative council members found that 22% cited "parking problems and management" as the most urgent issue to resolve. The problem is that such parking conflicts are likely to intensify in the future. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as of October last year, the number of registered vehicles in South Korea was 26,232,569.

This equates to one car for every 1.95 people. However, the current number of parking spaces per apartment household remains insufficient. Data from the Apartment Housing Management Information System shows that the average number of parking spaces per household in apartment complexes nationwide is only 1.05, which does not keep pace with the increase in car ownership. Even in apartments built since 2010, the figure is only 1.23. As a result, new complexes with a large number of parking spaces are enjoying high popularity in the real estate market.