"Feels like a mountain summit"
Controversy erupts over installation of giant landscaping stones in Dongdaemun-gu apartment complex
Giant landscaping stones have been installed in a large newly built apartment complex in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, which welcomed its first residents earlier this year. This has sparked heated debate not only among residents but also online users.
According to a Yonhap News report on May 25, the complex, located in Imun-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, began replacing its existing landscaping, including trees, with large stones starting last Friday. The front of these stones, some of which are much taller than an average person, features the seven-letter name of the apartment written in an old-fashioned calligraphy style. Some stones appear mottled, as if they were freshly brought down from a mountain.
Landscaping stone installed in a newly built apartment in Imun-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Naver Cafe 'Real Estate Study'
The party responsible for installing these stones is the apartment’s redevelopment association. Initially, the decision to install landscaping stones was scheduled to be made at the association’s delegates’ meeting on May 28. At this meeting, it was planned to decide whether to install more than 30 landscaping stones throughout the complex, with a budget of 2 billion won. However, before the meeting even took place, the association preemptively installed at least three landscaping stones, leading to fierce opposition and support among residents.
One resident told Yonhap News, “They tore out the well-done landscaping and just installed these stones,” expressing anger. The resident also reported that those opposed to the landscaping stones were upset, saying, “Why are they installing tombstone-like rocks? Is this an apartment from the 1980s?” Some association members are reportedly questioning the background of the landscaping stone project, which involves a large sum of money.
On the other hand, the redevelopment association maintains that “there are also association members who like the landscaping stones,” and insists there is no problem with their installation.
“Feels like a mountain summit” ? Online users join the heated debate
The controversy over the landscaping stones at this apartment complex has spread online.
As of 5:00 p.m. on May 25, this apartment complex ranked first in real-time searches on the real estate information app Hogangnono. The apartment’s message board is filled with posts about the landscaping stones. One user commented, “Each landscaping stone probably costs about 5 million won, and if you buy around 20, the price should go down, but 60 million won per stone is just outrageous.” Another user sarcastically suggested, “Since you’ve already contracted for the stones and installed them, why not change the apartment’s name to its old one to match the calligraphy font engraved on the stones?”
On the Naver Real Estate Cafe, most posts were negative, with some saying, “The font style on the landscaping stones doesn’t match the image of a new apartment,” and others commenting, “I thought it was a mountain summit.” In another anonymous community, a post criticized, “They brought in these rocks and removed perfectly good trees and grass without any notice or consent from association members,” and pointed out, “Contracting for 30 boulders at 1.8 billion won infringes on the property rights of residents.”
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