"Please Do Not Leave Food Waste in Front of the House" Apartment 'Yamchejok' Neighbor Conflicts

Some Apartment Residents Leave Food Waste at Front Doors
Only Dispose at Designated Spots When Bins Are Full
Neighbors Complain "Foul Smell... Headaches" Leading to Conflict

A resident is disposing of food waste. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] # A man in his 40s, Mr. A, who lives in an apartment, finds his morning commute to work distressing every day. This is because Mr. B, who lives next door, places the food waste bin right in front of the entrance door. Mr. A expressed his frustration, saying, "I don't understand why he puts the food waste bin in the hallway outside the door," and added, "Even with the lid on, the smell leaks outside. It seems like he puts it outside because of the smell, but it's really infuriating."

Some residents living in apartments are causing conflicts with their neighbors by putting food waste from their homes into plastic bags, placing them in bins, and leaving them outside. They only take the bags outside when they are full of food. This process inevitably produces a foul odor.

Given this situation, residents are expressing considerable discomfort. However, there are no effective measures to address this. Since the violations are minor under current laws, many cases are quietly overlooked.

Mr. B, a man in his 30s who lives right next to the house where the food waste is placed outside, said, "The smell of food waste, like kimchi juice, is overwhelming," and added, "I have complained several times, but all I get is that nothing can be done," expressing his frustration. He raised his voice, saying, "Isn't it a selfish idea that the smell should not exist in one's own home?"

Another resident in his 30s, Mr. C, also pointed out, "The smell of food waste is a problem, but I don't understand why they put the trash outside the house," and said, "I can only think of this as a lack of manners." He continued, "Imagine if our trash was in front of their house?how infuriating that would be," he lamented.

Under current laws, placing objects outside one's home is illegal according to fire safety laws and others. This is because it can block evacuation routes in emergencies such as fires.

According to fire safety laws, △ placing objects in stairways, hallways, and emergency exits or △ installing obstacles that hinder evacuation and firefighting activities can result in a fine of up to 2 million KRW, and if correction orders are not followed, imprisonment for up to 3 years or a fine of up to 15 million KRW can be imposed.

Food waste collection bin filled with food scraps. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, regarding food waste bins, some argue that the volume of the items is small and does not obstruct passage. Mr. D, a resident in his 40s, explained, "(Food waste bins, etc.) of this size are placed outside by almost every household," adding, "It can't be seen as something good, but I don't think it's something to be heavily criticized either."

Given this situation, some self-deprecating voices have appeared in online apartment communities. One community member said, "There really are neighbors who just don't communicate," and questioned, "Why on earth do they put food waste outside?" He added, "I've spoken to them several times, but they respond with a brazen attitude. I'm seriously considering reporting the situation to the district office with photographic evidence."

Security guards managing the apartment are also in a difficult position. Mr. E, a security guard in his 60s, said, "When items are left outside openly, we put warning stickers and notify them again by phone. But in the case of food waste bins, there are many situations where we can't really say anything," he lamented.

He emphasized, "The proper way to dispose of food waste in apartments is to remove moisture and dispose of it in designated disposal devices." He added, "Please put foreign substances and raw vegetables in volume-based waste bags for disposal."