The court ruled that repeatedly ringing the doorbell and knocking on the door to protest apartment noise between floors is not a criminal act.
Mr. A visited Mr. B's residence to complain about noise between floors, rang the doorbell, and knocked on the door, but Mr. B reported it to the police without saying much. Photo by Getty Images
On the 5th, Judge Lee Hodong of the Criminal Division 3 at the Seoul Eastern District Court announced a not guilty verdict for Mr. A, in his 50s, who was prosecuted for violating the Minor Offenses Act.
Mr. A, residing in an apartment in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, was prosecuted for visiting Mr. B's residence last July to protest noise between floors by repeatedly ringing the doorbell and knocking on the door.
Mr. A and Mr. B had been in conflict since May of the same year, with reports filed to the police and the apartment management office regarding noise issues between floors. On the day of the incident, Mr. A visited Mr. B's residence to protest the noise issue by ringing the doorbell and knocking on the door, but Mr. B reported it to the police without any further comment.
Judge Lee stated, "Considering that the equivalent continuous noise level for one minute during the daytime direct impact noise measured from 9 a.m. on October 5, 2024, to 8:59 a.m. the next day was 51dB, and the maximum noise level was measured at 65-67dB, the evidence submitted by the prosecution is insufficient to recognize that the defendant continuously approached against the explicit will of the victim."
He further explained, "Moreover, it is reasonable to view that the defendant had justifiable reasons for ringing the bell at the victim's residence to discuss the noise issue between floors," as the reason for the ruling.
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