Controversy Grows Over Apartment Residents' Request for 'Smoking Understanding'
A note requesting understanding for smoking posted by a resident in an apartment complex has reignited conflicts over inter-floor smoking. The resident asked neighbors to tolerate the fact that their elderly father, who has mobility difficulties, smokes indoors in the multi-unit housing, sparking a heated debate over whether such inconvenience is justified.
Recently, an online community called 'BobaeDream' revealed the content of a note written by an apartment resident. In the note, resident A explained, "I am the child taking care of my 97-year-old father," and added, "Because my father has mobility issues and cannot go outside, he inevitably has to smoke indoors."
He continued, "I apologize for causing inconvenience to neighbors," but also said, "I hope you can understand with empathy, imagining if it were your own parents. I kindly ask for your broad understanding."
The post sparked controversy among netizens. Some sympathized with the resident’s feelings for posting such a note despite the nuisance, while the majority responded, "Why should the majority have to endure the harm?"
One netizen pointed out, "Empathy means understanding others' positions as much as your own, right? What if families with infants and toddlers suffer because of an elderly person with mobility issues? How would you handle that?"
Conflicts over inter-floor smoking have intensified recently. In June, a controversy arose when an apartment resident posted a 'warning notice' targeting indoor smokers in the housing complex. The resident printed an image of a news article about a neighbor who was murdered amid disputes over inter-floor smoking on an A4 sheet, then wrote in large letters, "Next is you," and posted it in the apartment elevator.
Netizens condemned the resident, saying, "This is a death threat and should be reported to the police," but some also expressed sympathy for the sentiment, commenting, "They must have been desperate to create such a printout," and "If such words are coming out, shouldn't this stop?"
According to the 'Annual Status of Inter-floor Noise and Smoking Complaints' released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of smoking complaints increased from 29,291 cases in 2020 to 35,148 cases in 2022, marking an approximate 20% cumulative increase over two years.
Under current law, there are no clear penalties for inter-floor smoking issues. Article 20-2 of the Act on the Management of Multi-Unit Housing states that "residents should make efforts to avoid causing harm to other residents due to smoking inside units such as balconies and bathrooms." However, this regulation only allows management offices to 'recommend' residents to stop smoking and does not grant them the authority to forcibly stop it.
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