Criticism Follows Residents' Complaints
Security Guards' Working Conditions Continually Raised
An apartment resident expressed frustration, claiming they were taken out on after asking a security guard for some water. However, netizens found the resident's behavior absurd when considering the full context. On the 17th, a post titled "Is it wrong to ask a security guard for water at 4 a.m.?" was shared across various online communities.
The post included an image captured and saved by a participant in what appeared to be the apartment's group chat, showing a message left by resident A around 4:44 a.m. A explained the situation, saying, "Around 4:30 a.m., while returning home, I noticed a water purifier inside the security office glass door, so I knocked on the security guard's booth."
Mr. A said, "I am a resident of the apartment, but I am sorry, may I have a sip of water?" The security guard reportedly got angry at Mr. A, saying, "What if you wake up the person on the shift who is sleeping?" Photo by Online Community
A continued, "I asked, 'I'm an apartment resident, but sorry, could I have a sip of water?'" The security guard reportedly got angry, saying, "What if you wake up the shift worker during their sleeping time?" A asked, "Did I do something wrong to the security guard?" The opinions of other residents in the group chat were not disclosed. However, as this message circulated online, many netizens expressed that A's behavior was rude.
Netizens responded with comments such as, "You wake someone up during their break and then ask if you did something wrong?", "Asking for water at the security office itself is incomprehensible behavior," "Posting in the group chat at 4 a.m. was also wrong," and "People who abuse power don't realize they are doing so."
Apartment Security Guards’ Break Times and Spaces Must Be Legally Guaranteed
On the 21st, a poster containing residents' promises for coexistence with security guards was posted in a security office of an apartment in Seoul. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport began enforcing the revised Enforcement Decree of the Apartment Housing Management Act, which clarifies the scope of duties for security guards in apartment complexes. Accordingly, residents of apartment complexes are prohibited from requesting security guards to perform tasks such as valet parking or delivering packages directly to units. [Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@]
Apartment security guards have long faced poor working conditions, including inadequate break times and insufficient break facilities. In particular, most apartment security guards work in a 24-hour alternating shift system, which disrupts their biological rhythms and can negatively affect their health, a concern that has been consistently raised.
However, due to the nature of their work, security guards classified as surveillance and intermittent workers were not guaranteed break times under the Labor Standards Act if approved by the Minister of Employment and Labor, citing relatively low mental and physical fatigue. This lack of clear standards for mental and physical fatigue was criticized, and in 2021, the Ministry of Employment and Labor established guidelines to assess this. Accordingly, if apartment security guards regularly perform other tasks such as recycling collection that occupy a significant portion of their overall duties, they can be guaranteed break times.
Additionally, to ensure the rest rights of surveillance and intermittent workers, an amendment to the "Labor Inspector's Duty Regulations" was implemented the same year, specifying standards for break facilities and working conditions. The amendment mandates measures such as installing heating and cooling facilities in break rooms, providing sufficient space and supplies for night breaks, setting upper limits on break times, and posting break time notice boards.
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