What Do You Think About the "Ban on Walking Pet Dogs in the Complex"? Here Are the Voting Results

A Vote on Dog Walking Ban Held at Yesan Apartment Complex in South Chungcheong Province
Result: 203 Votes in Favor vs. 201 Against, a Close Call
"Dirty Dog Waste" vs. "Ban Only Fuels Conflict" ? Sharp Divide

A vote on whether to ban pet dog walking was held at an apartment complex in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province, revealing a sharp divide among residents.

According to a KBS report on June 13, a notice was posted in the elevator of an apartment in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province, with the title "Notice of Vote on Banning Pet Dog Walking in the Apartment Ground Park."

The notice stated, "The residents' representative council of our apartment has decided to hold a vote on banning pet dog walking in the apartment's ground park," and asked residents to participate in the electronic vote held over two days, June 10 and 11.

Pet dog. Getty Images Bank

The residents' representative council and those in favor of the ban expressed strong opinions, saying, "The area was often dirty because pet owners did not properly clean up after their dogs," and, "If owners had kept their dogs on leashes and cleaned up after them, there would have been no reason to impose a ban."

On the other hand, residents opposed to the ban argued, "This issue can be resolved by ensuring owners clean up after their pets," and, "The ban only fuels conflict among residents." Out of all 460 households, the vote was extremely close, with 203 votes in favor of the ban and 201 against it.

Online commenters were also divided. Some responded to the news of the vote by saying, "There are many people who use their phones and don't clean up after their dogs. Don't make things worse for responsible dog owners. There must be a reason why a vote like this is being held." Others said, "Pet dogs are family members too. This is too much. At this rate, we might even see 'no pet apartments' in the future."

Similar controversies over pet walking in apartment complexes have continued to arise. In 2023, an apartment in Gyeonggi Province created management regulations banning residents from walking their pet dogs, which sparked debate.

The sign at the time stated that pets were not allowed to enter, walk, be exposed, or wait in any of the apartment's common spaces or facilities, including stairways, hallways, playgrounds, elevators, flower beds, community facilities, parking lots, walking trails, and ground-level areas. There was also a significant divide in opinions at that time.

Meanwhile, according to the "2023 Korea Pet Report" by KB Management Research Institute, about 5.52 million households in Korea own pets, accounting for approximately 25% of all households.