Banner left by security guard who died after leaving a "Gapjil" will
"House prices will drop" protest leads to eventual removal
A banner mourning a security guard who died due to "gapjil" was eventually taken down following protests from apartment residents who claimed it would lower property values.
On the 16th, employees of the management office at the apartment in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, removed a memorial banner at the apartment entrance that read, "The security guard left a suicide note and jumped to death due to gapjil by the management office chief and the residents' council president. From all security and cleaning staff," according to Yonhap News Agency.
An official from the apartment said, "There were numerous complaints from residents saying the property value would drop," adding, "We left the banners inside the complex and at the back gate, but removed only the banner at the main entrance where many people pass by."
The banner was installed immediately after the death incident on the 14th. Residents reportedly filed multiple complaints with the police and district office requesting the removal of the banner.
Apartment staff also collected some of the flyers claiming "gapjil" that were posted throughout the complex for the same reason.
The appeal letter stated that the deceased security guard could not endure the management office chief’s unfair personnel measures and personal insults, which led to his extreme choice.
Earlier, Park Mo (74), who had worked as a security guard at this apartment for 11 years, took a photo of a suicide note on his phone describing his hardship due to "gapjil by the person responsible for management" and sent it to his colleagues before taking his own life.
Most Security Guards Experienced Gapjil from Primary Contractors and Verbal Abuse from Residents
Meanwhile, security workers were found to be exposed to constant verbal abuse and other forms of gapjil.
According to the "Security Workers Gapjil Report" released by Workplace Gapjil 119 on the 16th, all nine workers interviewed in-depth responded that they had experienced gapjil from residents, including yelling, insults, appearance disparagement, belittlement of their work as lowly, and unfair work orders and interference.
Among the nine security guards, six reported experiencing "primary contractor gapjil," such as carrying out unfair orders unrelated to their duties. Four out of nine workers said they had been threatened with dismissal by residents.
Security worker A testified, "A resident openly disparaged me to their child, saying, 'Study hard. If you don’t, you’ll end up like that man over there.'"
The report also included accounts of verbal abuse such as, "Why did you hire someone short and ugly? Replace him immediately," and, regarding leaving the security post light on, "If it were your house, would you leave the light on?"
Labor attorney Im Deuk-gyun of Workplace Gapjil 119 said, "The punishments for residents and management office chiefs who commit gapjil are too lenient, and workers have to endure gapjil due to job insecurity," adding, "There is a need to strengthen gapjil prevention and punishment regulations and to resolve job insecurity."
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