Controversy Over Apartment Notice in Gwanak-gu, Seoul
"Fish Smell Rising to Upstairs"
'Overreaction'... Flood of Criticism from Netizens
A notice requesting residents not to ‘grill fish’ has been posted in an apartment, sparking controversy. According to JTBC’s ‘Sageon Banjang’ on the 19th, a tipster identified as Mr. A, who lives in an apartment in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, discovered a notice on the apartment elevator on the 14th that read, ‘Please do not fry or grill fish at home.’
The document, apparently posted by a resident, stated, “I don’t know which household it is, but please, anyone below the 19th floor, do not fry or grill fish with oil at home,” and added, “The smell of fish oil rises to the upper floors and is so disgusting it makes me nauseous.”
Mr. A, who resides in the apartment, claimed, “The building was constructed in the late 1990s, so it’s old and many elderly people live here,” and “Nowadays, newlyweds and young people also live here, and it seems a young resident posted this notice.” According to Mr. A, the apartment management office removed the notice immediately after discovering it, but it was posted again the next day.
Mr. A said, “It wasn’t about smoking, but just the smell of food in a place where many people live together. Writing such harsh expressions like ‘disgusting’ and ‘makes me nauseous’ and posting them crosses the line.” According to Mr. A, other residents also reacted with comments like, “What can we eat now?” and “Can’t we even eat Cheonggukjang?” Lawyer Yang Ji-yeol, who appeared on the broadcast, said, “Unless someone is frying dozens of fish at home, it’s not a problem,” and added, “Civil law stipulates that one must endure a certain level of inconvenience.”
Netizens who read the story also voiced criticism. Responses included, “Complaining about cooking at home is excessive,” “If you live in an apartment, you have to tolerate some inconveniences,” and “It’s selfishness thinking only about oneself.”
Earlier last month, a notice requesting residents to refrain from loud laughter was posted in an apartment in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, causing controversy. The notice featured a large illustration of a woman laughing and stated, “Recently, there have been households in OO-dong complaining about a woman’s loud laughter. Please refrain from loud noises in this shared housing to consider those resting quietly during the day.”
The tipster of this case said, “I have lived in this apartment for over a year, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a complaint,” and added, “I was so surprised that I contacted the management office, and they said, ‘Notices must be posted for a week.’” Netizens responded with disbelief, saying, “It’s really funny that people can’t even laugh comfortably,” “In shared housing, that level of understanding is natural,” and “If you can’t laugh during the day, when can you laugh?” On the other hand, some netizens commented, “I wonder how often someone laughed loudly enough for such a notice to be posted.”
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