Fines Imposed for Asking Security Guards to 'Park Cars or Deliver Packages'... Effective from the 21st

Prohibition on Collecting Various Consent Forms and Cleaning Inside Buildings
Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Apartment Housing Management Act to Take Effect on the 21st

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Starting from the 21st, apartment security guards will no longer be allowed to perform tasks such as valet parking, collecting various consent forms, cleaning inside buildings, or delivering packages to individual households. Violations of this rule will result in fines of up to 10 million KRW imposed on the residents' representative council or the management entity.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that the amendment to the "Enforcement Decree of the Apartment Housing Management Act," which includes these provisions, was promulgated on the 19th and will take effect on the 21st.

The amendment specifies the scope of duties that apartment security guards can perform for apartment management beyond their facility security duties under the Security Services Act.

Tasks that security guards may perform aside from security duties include cleaning and similar janitorial assistance, monitoring and organizing recyclable waste separation, posting notices, and placing items in mailboxes.

Additionally, as part of the permitted security duties, they may also manage parking and store delivery packages within the scope of preventing risks caused by theft, fire, or other disturbances.

However, tasks such as valet parking for private vehicles, delivering packages directly to individual households, or assisting with general office work of the management office are generally restricted. Collecting various consent forms, cleaning inside buildings, and repairing common areas are also prohibited.

Violations may lead to fact-finding investigations and corrective orders by local government heads against residents, residents' representative councils, or management entities, followed by fines of up to 10 million KRW. Security service providers may have their security business licenses revoked under the Security Services Act.

The Ministry explained, "The scope of duties was set considering both the improvement of working conditions and the prevention of job insecurity," adding, "A consensus was reached through social dialogue involving the National Assembly, related ministries, labor groups, residents, and housing managers, as well as feedback from local governments."

The amendment applies to security guards "employed by security service providers or housing management companies" in apartment complexes, excluding security guards "directly employed" by small-scale apartment complexes.

Furthermore, local governors are required to include provisions regarding secondhand smoke in the management regulations they establish, raising awareness among apartment residents and management entities.

The election method for the chairperson and auditor of the residents' representative council will be unified to direct elections.

Previously, complexes with 500 or more households elected representatives directly, while those with fewer than 500 households generally used indirect elections, which had been criticized for limited representativeness.

With this amendment, direct elections for the chairperson and auditor of the residents' representative council will be unified regardless of complex size, which is expected to enable more robust resident self-governance even in small to medium-sized complexes.

Kim Kyung-heon, Director of the Housing Construction Supply Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We expect this institutional improvement to not only enhance the treatment of apartment security guards but also foster a culture of coexistence with residents."