How to Laugh... Apartment Posts Notice Asking Residents to Refrain from Female Laughter

Netizens Divided Over This Story
In Apartment Complexes, Wall Noise Is as Severe as Floor Noise

Incidents of assault and even murder among neighbors due to noise between walls in multi-family housing such as apartments and villas are occurring from time to time. Among these, a ridiculous complaint asking residents to refrain from laughing has sparked controversy in an apartment located in Gyeonggi-do. On the 1st, JTBC's 'Case Manager' reported on a notice posted in an apartment in Hwaseong-si. According to the notice submitted by resident A, there was a drawing of a woman laughing loudly along with the message, "Recently, there are households in OO-dong complaining of disturbance caused by a woman's laughter."

A ridiculous complaint asking residents to refrain from laughing has sparked controversy at an apartment located in Gyeonggi-do. On the 1st, JTBC's "Case Officer" reported on a notice posted in an apartment in Hwaseong-si.
[Photo by JTBC "Case Officer"]

The notice included a request to "Please refrain from loud noises in the shared housing community out of consideration for those resting quietly during the day." The informant said, "I have lived in this apartment for over a year, but this is the first time I have seen such a complaint," and added, "When I contacted the management office in disbelief, they said 'the notice must be posted for a week' and hung up during the conversation." A explained, "By May, the problematic notice had disappeared."

Netizens who came across this story were divided. Those defending the writer commented, "Seeing a notice asking not to laugh during the day actually made me laugh," "I think in shared housing, such things should naturally be understood by everyone," and "If you can't laugh during the day and not at night, then when are you supposed to laugh?" expressing disbelief. On the other hand, some netizens said, "How loudly must someone have been laughing to warrant such a notice?" "Since I haven't experienced it firsthand, I can't judge lightly, but the laughter must have been quite disturbing," and "Whether it's laughter or something else, the complainant might have really suffered," showing support for the complainant.

Meanwhile, noise between apartment walls is measured using the same standards as floor noise, based on nighttime levels: 34 dB for direct impact noise and 40 dB for airborne noise. However, most measurements do not exceed these standards, which can worsen the damage. It is not feasible to file complaints at the security office or confront neighbors daily over wall noise. Therefore, in cases of severe wall noise, blocking bathroom ventilation with thick paper or plastic, replacing the bathroom door with a soundproof door, or sealing door gaps with weatherstripping can reduce noise. Additionally, attaching soundproofing materials such as gypsum board to the entire wall connected to the neighbor and parts of the ceiling, and installing sound-absorbing materials on the exterior can be quite effective. Furniture such as bookshelves placed tightly against the walls inside the home also helps reduce noise.