"House Prices Drop Due to Discounted Units"... Neighbors Block Moving Day and Lie Down in Protest

As Unsold Units Increase, Construction Companies Offer 'Discounted Sales'
Existing Residents Protest..."Apartment Prices Will Drop"
Blocking Moving, Discrimination..."Neighbors Become Enemies"

A 'moving commotion' broke out at a newly built apartment in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do. To fill the unsold units, the construction company offered discounted sales, but existing residents opposed the move, blocking the move-in of discounted units on the grounds that 'apartment prices will fall.'

Existing residents blocking the moving belongings of discounted sale tenants.
[Photo by JTBC]

On the 16th, JTBC reported on the conflict between neighbors at a newly built apartment in Gwangyang. Residents blocked the entrance where moving trucks were coming in using their own cars, and even lay down on the floor to obstruct the moving trucks. The police were dispatched to the underground parking lot, which provides direct access to the apartment, due to vehicles blocking the entrance.

The obstruction of new residents' moving-in is carried out by existing residents. They even attached notices on their car windshields saying, "An appeal to new residents." The notice read, "Baseless discounted sales, we can no longer stand by," and "We ask new residents to delay their move-in until this issue is resolved."

Existing resident Mr. A said, "We parked the cars like that to protest against the move-in," adding, "This apartment does not allow ladder trucks for moving, so moving trucks can only enter via the elevator or the first floor. We tried to block the move-in of discounted units." A new resident wanting to move in expressed anger, saying, "They are not neighbors but 'neighbor enemies.' Ultimately, they are trying to block new residents because their house prices are falling. How can this be called neighbors?"

Existing residents who posted notices discriminating against discounted sale units.
[Photo by Online Community]

The apartment complex consists of a total of 1,114 households. However, about 100 units remain unsold. As a result, the construction company is recruiting residents at discounted prices, cutting several tens of millions of won from the original sale price. Upon learning about the residents who moved in with discounts, existing residents imposed 'territorial rights' by charging 50 times the parking fee for discounted units, denying access to community and common facilities, and imposing a 5 million won elevator usage fee during moving.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that conflicts have arisen between existing and new residents over 'discounted sales.' In February, when 45 units remained unsold at an apartment located in Yulamdong, Dong-gu, Daegu, the construction company promoted discounted sales, but existing residents strongly opposed it, citing falling house prices. In 2014, a major controversy arose when an existing resident opposing the move-in of discounted sales residents at an apartment in Unjeong New Town, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, died by self-immolation.