"Delivery Workers' Elevator Usage Fee of 10,000 Won per Month Sparks Controversy in Sejong City Apartments"

Withdrawal After Resident Opposition
Controversy Ends with Card Key Deposit Reduced from 100,000 Won to 50,000 Won
"Residents' Opinions Were Not Consulted"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] It has been reported that the residents' representative meeting of an apartment complex in Sejong City attempted to charge delivery workers a fee for using the elevator. However, after residents became aware of this and strongly opposed it, the plan was eventually withdrawn.

According to Yonhap News on the 14th, the residents' representative meeting of this apartment recently instructed delivery workers to obtain a common entrance card key for access starting next month. They also planned to impose a 100,000 KRW deposit for the card key and a monthly elevator usage fee of 10,000 KRW.

Under the Enforcement Decree of the Apartment Housing Management Act, the decision to impose fees for the use of common facilities is determined by the residents' representative meeting. The apartment's management regulations reportedly include provisions to charge usage fees to non-residents who frequently use the elevator. Accordingly, it appears that delivery workers were also required to pay the elevator usage fee.

An apartment official told Yonhap News, "We understand that delivery workers have a difficult job, but there were some complaints that elevator use was inconvenient because they pressed all the floor buttons while delivering," adding, "There are other apartment complexes in Sejong City that also impose usage fees."

A panoramic view of an apartment complex in Sejong City, unrelated to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, once this fact became known, the apartment management office reportedly received a flood of protest calls from residents. One resident posted on an online community, "This decision was made without consulting the residents," and criticized, "We receive delivery services for our convenience, so charging delivery workers an elevator usage fee is absurd."

There were also criticisms that the 100,000 KRW deposit for the card key was excessive. While some apartment complexes in Sejong City require residents to obtain a card key for access, the deposit is usually no more than 30,000 KRW. Ultimately, the residents' representative meeting decided to withdraw the usage fee policy and reduce the card key deposit to 50,000 KRW.

There have been previous cases where delivery workers were charged elevator usage fees. In 2018, an apartment complex in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, implemented a similar policy targeting delivery workers and postal carriers. At that time, it was revealed that they were required to pay a 100,000 KRW deposit for the card key and an annual elevator usage fee of 60,000 KRW, which sparked controversy as "delivery worker exploitation."

Also, in 2017, an apartment complex in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, rented out apartment access card keys to delivery workers while demanding a 50,000 KRW deposit and a monthly usage fee of 10,000 KRW, drawing public criticism. In 2011, an apartment complex in Dong-gu, Ulsan, caused controversy by requiring companies delivering newspapers and milk to pay a monthly elevator usage fee of 200,000 KRW.