Promised to Solve Interfloor Noise... Dispute Mediation Committee Becomes a 'Ghost Organization'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] It has been revealed that the Dispute Mediation Committee, established to mediate disputes in multi-family housing such as noise between floors and embezzlement of management fees, has not been functioning properly, with only 35 mediation cases filed over five years.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to Park Sang-hyuk, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of disputes filed over about five years from 2016 to last July at 147 multi-family housing management dispute mediation committees nationwide was only 35.

The Dispute Mediation Committee was created under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to effectively address various disputes related to apartment management, such as management fee fraud and noise between floors. A total of 147 dispute mediation committees were established nationwide for 228 apartment complexes, and each committee is composed of 15 experts including lawyers, accountants, and housing managers. Currently, about 2,200 members nationwide have been selected to mediate apartment disputes. The main mediation tasks include ▲ operation of residents' representative meetings or multi-family housing management organizations ▲ use of management fees, usage fees, and long-term repair reserves ▲ apartment remodeling and noise between floors ▲ disputes in mixed housing complexes, among others.

However, it was found that the committees are effectively operating as 'ghost organizations,' with only 0.24 disputes filed per committee over five years. In particular, among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide, nine, including Daegu and Incheon, had no cases filed in five years. Even Seoul, which had the most cases, had only 16.

The performance was also very poor. Of the 35 cases, only 7 were mediated, resulting in a mediation rate of just 20%. In 2017 and 2018, 6 and 4 cases were filed respectively, but not a single mediation was concluded.

Park Sang-hyeok, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea [Image source=Yonhap News]

Assemblyman Park Sang-hyuk pointed out, "The fact that the nationwide dispute mediation committees, established to resolve various disputes and complaints arising in apartments, have handled only 35 disputes over five years is a product of perfunctory administration," and added, "Even now, the role and function of the dispute committees must be redefined to actively resolve apartment disputes, where 70% of the entire population lives."