Home > National > Social Affairs

Gov’t expands noisy neighbor mediation to some non-apartment housing

Published: 16 Apr. 2025, 14:44 Updated: 16 Apr. 2025, 16:02

The Ministry of Environment is expanding its mediation service for neighbors regarding inter-floor noise beyond apartments to include non-apartment housing. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

You no longer have to live in an apartment to make a government complaint about your neighbor's loud noises.

The Ministry of Environment announced on Wednesday that it is expanding its mediation service for neighbors regarding inter-floor noise beyond apartments to include non-apartment housing such as villas, officetels — buildings that can house both residential and commercial tenants — and multifamily homes in the Seoul metropolitan area.

These housing types, which had previously fallen outside the government's official noise mediation framework, will now be eligible to receive government-supported noise measurement and conflict resolution services. The Environment Ministry plans to expand this service nationwide after completing the pilot operation in Seoul.

Residents can apply by visiting the official website operated by the Korea Environment Corporation or by calling the mediation service center's hotline on 1661-2642.

The service includes having the noise level measured for free and also a mediation process overseen by officials.

Until now, the mediation service was only available to apartment building residents, as the legal definition of inter-floor noise regulation covered only housing classified as "joint residential housing" under the Housing Act.

However, after criticism that villas and officetels were being left out of the system, the ministry launched pilot projects in cities like Gwangju in 2023 to extend services to non-apartment homes.

“Because the legal provisions only apply to apartments, non-apartment housing like villas was excluded, but we are expanding the service in the interest of public convenience,” said a ministry official.

A set of letters exchanged between neighbors regarding inter-floor noise, uploaded to an online community last year. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

From 2020 to 2024, a total of 3,101 applications for noise mediation were rejected simply because the housing type was not eligible, according to the Environment Ministry. That’s roughly 620 cases per year where residents of non-apartment housing were denied government support.

Non-apartment buildings are often even more vulnerable to inter-floor noise, and in some cases, these conflicts have escalated into violence. In February, a resident was killed during a dispute over floor noise in a villa in Yangju, Gyeonggi.

To reduce the risk of such extreme outcomes, the ministry has begun deploying trained psychological counselors alongside field agents. When staff from the Korea Environment Corporation visit a site to mediate a noise complaint, a counseling specialist accompanies them to help manage emotional tensions between neighbors.

“We will continue to improve our inter-floor noise response system to ensure that residents have access to professional, free support services,” said Oh Il-young, an official at the ministry.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY JEONG EUN-HYE [[email protected]]