"Are First-Floor Residents Smoke Eaters?" Rear Parking Conflict... Lower-Floor Residents 'Fuming' [Reporter Han Goes]

Exhaust Fumes Enter 1st Floor from Apartment Parking Rear Parking Lot
Vehicle Exhaust Contains Harmful Substances Like Benzene, Formaldehyde
Residents on 1st Floor and Lower Floors Complain "Health Concerns Due to Various Exhaust Fumes"
Drivers Also Use Rear Parking Near Daycare

A parking lot in an apartment complex located in Seoul. The distance between the rear-parked vehicles and the first floor of the apartment is very close. Residents on the first floor and other lower floors are protesting against rear parking, claiming that exhaust fumes and other pollutants enter their homes. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "Please park your car further forward. The residents on the first floor can't live like this."

Complaints from residents living on the lower floors, including those on the first floor, are growing over the parking method in the apartment complex's ground parking lot. The parking method they oppose is rear-end parking.

Residents on the lower floors complain that since the vehicle's exhaust pipe is located at the front of their homes, various exhaust fumes emitted during engine start-up enter directly into their homes. Some even say that the engine noise is louder, making it practically impossible to carry out daily life properly.

On the afternoon of the 1st, Kim, a company employee in his 40s, whom we met in front of a parking lot in an apartment complex in Seoul, said, "In the case of rear-end parking, not only the first-floor residents but also those on the second floor can inhale the exhaust fumes," adding, "(People who park like this) basically have no consideration for others. Imagine if my family lived on the first floor. Could you do that?" he expressed his frustration.

Another company employee in his 30s, Park, said, "I haven't thought deeply about rear-end parking," and added, "Not only me but others too. Isn't it just a reality that people park quickly in the easiest way?" He briefly said, "But since there seems to be a problem, I will think about it."

A parking lot in an apartment complex located in Seoul. The car was reverse-parked facing a daycare center. Vehicles parked like this can emit exhaust fumes during the ignition process, which may flow toward children whose immune systems are still weak. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

The situation was similar in another apartment parking lot. In one parking lot, although it was very close to a daycare center, drivers disregarded this and parked rear-end facing the direction where children were present. If exhaust fumes were generated, they could flow directly to the children, whose immune systems are still weak.

A man in his 50s at this parking lot said, "I don't think it's right to park rear-end near a daycare center where children are," and pointed out, "I think cars should be moved to park front-end."

The health risks caused by exhaust fumes from rear-end parking were also shown in experimental results. According to an experiment in an apartment complex, when vehicles were rear-end parked with the exhaust pipe facing the apartment, the distance between the car and the apartment was usually about 5 to 6 meters.

In this situation, when the car was started, the carbon monoxide concentration around the apartment entrance about 5 meters away from the car exceeded approximately 200 ppm. This is 20 times higher than the indoor carbon monoxide standard. Vehicle exhaust contains harmful substances such as benzene and formaldehyde, which can cause respiratory diseases, making it a reason to avoid rear-end parking.

There were also criticisms regarding damage to flower beds on the first floor of the apartment. A resident in her 30s said, "Since exhaust fumes come out, I think it has a negative effect on flowers and trees," and raised her voice, "(Rear-end parking) is a problem not only for people but also harmful to these flower beds."

Vehicles parked in reverse. A flower bed is visible in the background. Concerns are growing over damage to the flower bed caused by exhaust fumes. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

As rear-end parking becomes a source of conflict among apartment residents, some drivers say it is unavoidable.

A worker in his 50s said, "I know well that rear-end parking is problematic," but explained, "When the parking lot is narrow, rear-end parking is actually a bit difficult." He complained, "In front-end parking, you have to turn the steering wheel and maneuver the car, but if the parking lot is cramped, this is hard. Especially for large cars or SUVs, it's even harder."

Another worker in his 40s, Kim, said, "There are many cases where rear-end parking is unavoidable," and emphasized, "In some other apartments, residents set a kind of rule to prohibit front-end parking. This problem can only be solved that way."

Amid ongoing controversy over parking methods, a security guard in charge of parking management said that residents' agreement is necessary.

Kim, a security guard in his 60s at an apartment, said, "Some residents request crackdowns on rear-end parking, but this is something that should be regulated and operated by the apartment as a whole," explaining, "Enforcement is carried out according to the decided regulations." He added, "Ultimately, how much interest residents take in this issue is the way to solve the rear-end parking problem."