Piling Up Clutter and Even Eating Boldly... No Way to Stop the 'Gyedan Villain'

Illegal Storage and Fire Law Violations
But Some Small-Scale Houses Are Exempt

A resident of a shared villa in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, expressed frustration over a neighbor who piles miscellaneous items on the stairs and corridors. They sought help from local government authorities but were told there is practically no way to punish the neighbor.

Recently, a post titled "Is the Fire Safety Act really correct?" was uploaded on the online community 'BobaeDream.' The author, Mr. A, is a resident of a villa in Anyang. He complained, "The lady next door piles all sorts of junk in the villa's common areas such as the stairs and hallways and never cleans it up," adding, "She stacks recyclable materials outside and uses them for personal purposes."

Corridor of a villa with piled-up stored items [Image source=Online community capture]

Photos posted by Mr. A show various items piled up next to the villa's corridors and stairs. As a result, the actual space available for passage appears so narrow that only an adult can barely pass through.

Mr. A said that since there is no elevator in the villa, residents have to use the stairs and corridors, but the clutter causes inconvenience. He also mentioned, "She even occasionally cooks on the stairs," and added, "Despite continuous complaints from residents, nothing is cleaned up, so I tried to get help from government offices, but they said punishment is difficult."

Leaving household items in common residential spaces such as apartment hallways is clearly illegal. According to the current Fire Safety Act, if someone places items in stairways, corridors, or emergency exits, or installs obstacles that hinder evacuation or firefighting activities, they can be fined up to 2 million KRW. Furthermore, if a correction order is ignored, the offender may face imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 15 million KRW.

Unauthorized storage in common residential areas poses a fire hazard and can obstruct evacuation in the event of a fire. In fact, in July 2022, a fire broke out in the hallway of an apartment in Sinjeong-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, after a fire source ignited piled-up trash.

The problem lies in the scope of the Fire Safety Act. Houses of a certain size, villas or apartments with five or more floors, are classified as 'specific fire safety objects' that must install firefighting equipment and are covered by the Fire Safety Act. However, small-scale villas or multi-family houses built long ago may be excluded.