Car Owner Holds 'Vehicle Protest' at Apartment in Haeundae-gu, Busan
When Called, Owner Says... "If You Touch It, I'll Set It on Fire"
Under Current Law, Parking Lots Are Private Property... Punishment Seems Difficult
The image of a driver who left their vehicle blocking the entrance of an apartment complex in Haeundae-gu, Busan, has been revealed, sparking controversy on social networking services (SNS).
The car owner left after parking across the entrance of an apartment in Haeundae-gu, Busan. [Photo by Online Community]
On the 14th, a post titled "Busan Apartment Parking Power Trip" was uploaded to an online community. The author, identified as A, who claims to reside in the apartment, said, "This situation has been ongoing since last night," and attached a photo. The photo posted by A shows an SUV blocking the barrier at the apartment entrance, preventing residents from entering the complex.
A explained, "The driver repeatedly occupied two compact car spaces, so the security guard warned them not to do so. Despite this, they continued parking the same way, and after a parking violation sticker was placed, they parked like that." A added, "When I called the driver, they said they would move the car at 10 o'clock and told me not to call again. They even threatened to set fire to the car if anyone touched it." Although residents reported the incident to the police, they only received the response that "since it is private property, nothing can be done."
Residents of an apartment complex in Haeundae-gu, Busan, are having difficulty entering the building because a car owner blocked the entrance by parking and then leaving the spot. [Photo by Online Community]
Netizens who saw the story reacted with comments such as, "There are continuous issues with apartment parking nuisances; the law needs to be revised," "The law should be changed to allow forced towing," "It might be better to start a small fire in the apartment complex and call the fire truck to push it away," "Stories like this make me dislike Korea," and "The apartment management office should take towing action in such cases."
Another netizen, B, who also claims to live in the apartment, commented, "There is always a shortage of parking spaces in the apartment. Compact cars occupy regular car spaces. So, regular cars that come home late at night cannot park in compact car spaces and end up parking on the roadside or outside every day." B added, "The driver in question exploded after enduring this situation for a long time and did such a thing."
Meanwhile, conflicts among residents over parking issues seem to be deepening day by day. On the 11th, a story surfaced about a driver who parked their car across three parking spaces in the apartment lot, citing a lack of parking spaces, which caused public outrage.
However, under current law, it is difficult to punish the driver. Apartment parking lots are classified as private property, and there are no penalties for unauthorized use of private property under current law. Administrative measures such as towing are only possible on roads, so there is a growing call for related legal revisions to minimize conflicts.
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