Busan Apartment That Said "Will Charge External Vehicle Toll" Ultimately Withdraws Plan

Withdrawal of LG Metrocity Enlistment Proposal

A large apartment complex in Busan announced that it would charge toll fees for vehicles passing through the complex starting next year, but after controversy, it ultimately withdrew the plan.

On the 29th, Yonhap News reported that the LG Metro City Residents' Representative Meeting (hereinafter referred to as the Residents' Meeting) in Yongho-dong, Nam-gu, Busan, withdrew its plan to impose facility usage fees on external vehicles starting next year. A representative of the Residents' Meeting told Yonhap News, "This was a decision made by the Residents' Meeting, so we have nothing further to say."

The appearance of the apartment. Provided by LG Metrocity Residents' Representative Meeting, Yonhap News Agency

This complex is the largest apartment complex in Busan, housing about 7,300 households. Previously, the Residents' Meeting of this apartment complex passed a motion last month to impose facility usage fees on vehicles passing through the roads within the complex. The motion was scheduled to be implemented from January next year, charging 500 won every 30 minutes from the moment an external vehicle enters the complex. At the time, a representative of the Residents' Meeting stated, "External vehicles using the roads inside the complex as shortcuts threaten the safety of children going to and from school, and with a daily traffic volume of 30,000 vehicles, road damage is severe, which led to this decision."

However, the local government of Nam-gu, Busan, which has jurisdiction, intervened by threatening to impose fines, sparking controversy. On the 21st, Nam-gu announced that it had sent an official letter to the LG Metro City Residents' Meeting demanding the withdrawal of the apartment's own regulations that prohibit external vehicle passage. Nam-gu judged that collecting toll fees within the complex constitutes using apartment facilities for commercial purposes, which violates the Act on the Management of Multi-Family Housing.

Nam-gu also conveyed that if the apartment regulations are not amended by the 19th of next month, a fine of 5 million won will be imposed. In 2019, when this apartment complex imposed facility usage fees on illegally parked vehicles, Nam-gu imposed a fine of 3 million won amid controversy. Furthermore, Nam-gu explained that it can repeatedly impose fines until these issues are corrected. This apartment complex consists of 5 complexes with 7,374 households and was completed between 2001 and 2004.