"Not Even Treated Like Humans": Ongoing Security Guard Abuse Sparks Public Outrage

Controversy Over Some Residents' Abuse Targeting Security Guards
Incidents of Assault, Verbal Abuse, and Threats Continue
Last Year, Security Guard Made 'Extreme Choice' Due to Resident Abuse
"Social Murder," "Strict Punishment for Abuse Needed," Public Outrage

The management office of a security guard at an apartment in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, who suffered from resident abuse and made an extreme choice on May 10 last year. / Photo by Juhyung Lim @skepped

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] A Chinese national resident who assaulted two security guards at an apartment entrance, causing fractures, has filed an appeal against the court ruling, sparking public outrage over the issue of 'security guard abuse.' Concerns are being raised that security guards are not adequately protected from abuse, assault, and threats by some residents.

The problem of some residents abusing security guards is not new. Recently, a security guard who could no longer endure such abuse tragically took their own life. This has led to calls for measures to protect security guards suffering from poor treatment.

◆Security Guard Assaulted for Blocking Unregistered Vehicle

According to the Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Court on the 12th, A (37), a Chinese national and CEO of a travel agency, who was detained and prosecuted on charges including injury, assault, obstruction of business, and property damage, filed an appeal with the court on the 9th, dissatisfied with the first trial verdict.

Previously, on the 2nd, Judge Jung Chan-woo of the Criminal Division 1 at the Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Court sentenced A to one year in prison with a two-year probation and issued a probation order. A submitted the appeal through his lawyer but did not submit a separate statement of reasons for the appeal.

Resident A, a Chinese national, assaulted two security guards causing fractures at an apartment in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. / Photo by Yonhap News

A is accused of spitting and punching two security guards in their 50s and 60s, respectively, at around 11:40 p.m. on January 11 at the back gate of an apartment complex in Janggi-dong, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi Province. Due to A's assault, the security guards suffered fractures, including broken nasal bones and rib injuries.

A was a resident of the apartment where the security guards were working. On the day of the incident, intoxicated, he was entering the apartment in the front passenger seat of an acquaintance's car and committed the assault against the security guards who were blocking an unregistered vehicle from entering.

◆Extreme Measures Taken Due to Resident Abuse of Security Guards

This is not the first time an apartment resident has abused security guards through assault, verbal abuse, or threats.

On February 26, at an apartment in Nowon-gu, Seoul, a resident assaulted a security guard with a club, causing injuries requiring three weeks of medical treatment. The resident reportedly chased the security guard to the elevator to continue the assault after the guard tried to escape, sparking controversy.

There have also been cases where security guards, unable to endure residents' assault and verbal abuse, took extreme measures. On April 21 last year, in an apartment in Seongbuk-gu, a resident in his 50s, B, got into an argument with security guard Choi over parking issues within the complex, assaulted him, and threatened him to quit his job.

A small memorial altar set up in front of the security guard booth where a security guard at an apartment in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, who suffered from verbal abuse and assault due to parking disputes with residents and made an extreme choice on May 10 last year, used to work. It is filled with Post-it notes mourning the security guard. Photo by Juhyung Lim skepped@

Choi filed a police complaint against B the next day on charges including injury. However, before the complainant investigation, Choi was found dead near his home on May 10 of the same year. It is reported that Choi left a note expressing his feelings of injustice.

◆Civil Groups: "Security Guard Deaths Are Social Murders... They Work Without Being Treated as Humans"

Civil organizations have urged for the establishment of systems related to apartment security workers to prevent security guards from becoming victims of resident abuse.

In April last year, the 'Memorial Group for the Late Security Worker Choi OO,' composed of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union, progressive political parties, and other civil society groups, held a press conference stating, "The death of this security worker is not a personal despair but a social murder," and lamented, "Elderly security workers are expected to work without even minimal human dignity."

Civil society activists are holding an urgent press conference to commemorate the late security worker Ko OOO, urging strict punishment for the perpetrator and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence. / Photo by Yonhap News

They continued, "These security guards work having given up on being treated as human beings," emphasizing, "This incident should be the starting point for protecting the rights of vulnerable emotional laborers in this era to work safely."

Citizens have also expressed outrage over the repeated cases of apartment security guard abuse. Park (55), a resident of an apartment in the Seoul metropolitan area, said, "Security guards are someone's fathers or grandfathers at home, so it is truly terrible what people do," and pointed out, "Measures should be taken so that residents cannot look down on security guards."

Choi, in his 20s and living in an apartment in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, also stated, "(Abuse of security guards) is a malicious act targeting socially vulnerable people," and argued, "Strict punishment is necessary to prevent security guards from suffering abuse anymore."

Meanwhile, the government promulgated and enforced an amendment to the 'Apartment Housing Management Act Enforcement Decree' on January 5, which prohibits abuse against apartment security guards and other workers in multi-unit housing.

Through this amendment, each city and provincial governor established 'standard management regulations' by the 5th, including prohibitions on harassment of multi-unit housing workers, reporting methods, victim protection measures, and prohibitions on dismissal or disadvantages due to reporting. Individual apartment complexes must revise and apply their management regulations based on this by May 6.