"Next Time It's You"... A Murder Threat Posted in an Apartment Elevator?

Elevator Floor Smoking Warning Notice
"Murder Threat" vs "It Must Have Been Desperate"

"Next time, it's you"

A photo of a chilling warning about inter-floor smoking posted by a resident inside an apartment elevator has been revealed online, sparking heated debates among netizens.

A resident suffering from inter-floor smoking issues posted a warning notice in the elevator.
[Photo by Online Community]

On the 12th, an online community shared a photo of an A4-sized printed notice posted inside an apartment elevator under the title "Murder Prediction Posted in Apartment Elevator." The post included an article titled "Cigarette Smoke That Led to Murder, One Neighbor Dead," describing how conflicts between neighbors caused by cigarette smoke escalated to murder. At the bottom, the phrase "Next time, it's you" was written. This message is interpreted as the poster indirectly emphasizing the suffering caused by a neighbor's cigarette smoke.

The attached article in the printout refers to an incident that occurred in June 2022. At that time, Mr. A, who lived on the first floor of an apartment, frequently quarreled with a resident living on the third floor because cigarette smoke from the third-floor resident, who came down to the first floor to smoke, entered his home. The dispute escalated when Mr. A wielded a weapon against the third-floor resident, who was eventually killed.

Netizens who read the story showed mixed reactions. Some expressed concern, saying, "These days, the world is so dangerous that this doesn't feel like a joke," "If you report this to the police, it's a death threat," "It's terrifying and even brutal," and "Check the CCTV and catch them immediately." On the other hand, some sympathized with the resident who wrote the threatening message, saying, "They must have been pushed to the limit," "Honestly, I understand their feelings," and "If it comes to that point, people should know when to stop."

Inter-floor smoking, along with inter-floor noise, is one of the main causes of conflicts between neighbors. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's "Yearly Status of Complaints on Inter-floor Noise and Inter-floor Smoking," complaints about inter-floor smoking reached 35,148 cases in 2022. This is about a 20% increase compared to 29,291 cases in 2020.

However, despite the increase in damage reports, there is no clear legal basis to impose sanctions, so disputes, both large and small, continue. The Apartment Housing Management Act stipulates that "residents of apartment housing should make efforts to avoid causing harm to other residents due to smoking inside units such as balconies and bathrooms." If a resident suffering from secondhand smoke reports it to the management office or other management entities, the management can recommend that the smoking resident stop smoking. However, since the management entity does not have the authority to force residents to stop smoking, warnings are limited to announcements or notices.