Cheongju Resident in Her 50s Under Investigation for Public Threats
Claims "No Intent to Cause Actual Harm"
On November 16, Yonhap News reported that a resident of an apartment in Cheongju, Chungbuk was booked without detention by the police for posting a message in the elevator implying murder.
A resident of an apartment in Cheongju, Chungbuk was booked without detention by the police for posting a message implying murder in the elevator. Photo by Pixabay
According to Cheongju Sangdang Police Station on the 16th, a woman in her 50s, identified as Ms. A, is accused of attaching a notice in the elevator of an apartment in Sangdang-gu, Cheongju on the night of October 16. The notice included the phrase "You're next" and contained a news article about a murder case that occurred in the past due to a dispute over smoking between apartment floors. The police identified Ms. A as the person who posted the notice through CCTV footage and an on-site investigation.
During the police investigation, Ms. A reportedly stated, "I was suffering because cigarette smoke was coming into my home, so I put up the notice," adding, "I had no intention of actually harming other residents."
It is known that Ms. A had previously delivered notices requesting residents to refrain from indoor smoking through the elevator and the management office, but after the smoke problem persisted, she resorted to this extreme measure.
Online commenters were divided in their reactions to the incident. Some pointed out legal issues, calling it a "clear threat of murder," while others expressed sympathy, saying she must have been under severe stress due to inter-floor smoking.
Issues such as inter-floor smoking and noise are representative sources of conflict in multi-family housing in recent times. According to data submitted by Democratic Party lawmaker Min Hongcheol, a member of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, there were 192,610 complaints related to secondhand smoke from 2020 to 2024.
However, under current law, there are no clear regulations that allow for compulsory sanctions against inter-floor smoking. Article 20-2 of the Multi-Family Housing Management Act stipulates an "obligation to make efforts" not to cause harm to other households through in-unit smoking. The management office can recommend that residents stop smoking when a complaint is received, but its authority to enforce such recommendations is limited.
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