I cover a wide range of stories about Korean society — one of the most dynamic places in the world. To me, journalism means being on the ground, uncovering untold stories and amplifying marginalized voices, especially in an era when AI is reshaping the media landscape. That’s why I’m always here to listen. Tips and stories are welcome — feel free to reach out via email. Before becoming a journalist, I traveled through 24 countries over 702 days, served two years as a military police officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force and later studied filmmaking at the Korea National University of Arts.
Noise disputes turn deadly in Korea
A man tests a device he later used to set fire to a home in Seoul’s Gwanak District, Monday, allegedly due to a noise dispute. He was later found dead. Captured from X
By Park Ung
Experts say conflicts reflect deeper issues in society
A man in his 60s, whose name has not been released, arrived on a motorcycle in a quiet Seoul neighborhood, Monday, carrying a pesticide sprayer filled with a flammable solvent. Moments later, he set fire to a residential building, killing himself and injuring 13 others.
Police say the likely trigger was a noise dispute between neighbors.
In Korea, these disputes are so common, that there's even a term for them: "cheung-gan so-eum," which refers to noise between floors in residential buildings. Although most disputes are not deadly, the issue is deeply rooted in a country where most people live in close proximity to neighbors, both above and below them.
According to the 2020 Population and Housing Census, conducted every five years by the government, 77.8 percent of Koreans lived in multi-unit housing, such as apartments, condominiums or terraced houses.
Monday’s tragedy is not the first case where suffering from noise at home — a place where one should feel most at ease — has escalated into horrific acts of violence.
Just two months earlier, a man living on the fifth floor of a low-rise apartment in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, killed his neighbor. He told police that he "went to the home to complain about the noise but committed the act in a fit of rage."
Experts say noise alone is rarely enough to push someone to commit murder. Instead, it is often the most visible trigger for deeper, unresolved tensions.
“It’s a rage-driven crime. The problem is, our society lacks the systems to help people process that kind of anger and conflict in a peaceful manner,” Lee Yoon-ho, a professor of police administration at Dongguk University, told The Korea Times.
He added that when individuals are left to deal with anger in their lives on their own — and aren’t used to resolving issues through communication or shared norms — things can spiral out of control, especially when a trigger like noise between floors enters the picture.
Firefighters inspect a charred apartment in Gwanak District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Noise between floors is such a serious issue in Korea that a public institution has set up a dedicated center to handle complaints.
The Korea Environment Corporation’s Interfloor Noise Dispute Mediation Center received 33,027 phone consultations related to noise disputes last year, with 7,033 cases resulting in on-site inspections.
Substandard construction is a major cause of the noise.
A 2019 review by the Board of Audit and Inspection found that 184 out of 191 apartments had lower soundproofing performance than their certified ratings.
In 2023, the Seoul Central District Court ordered a construction company to pay approximately 2.8 billion won ($1.96 million) to the housing cooperative after faulty construction caused severe noise issues in an apartment complex.
“Architectural techniques — such as altering the thickness of floors and walls, inserting shock-absorbing materials or changing the structural layout of buildings — can help reduce interfloor noise,” Choi Chang-sik, a professor of architectural engineering at Hanyang University, told The Korea Times.
He added that while these methods can be applied to new buildings, it’s difficult to retrofit them into existing reinforced concrete structures, which make up the majority of housing here.
“In the end, architectural solutions need to be paired with a social approach. In shared living environments, mutual consideration is essential because people perceive noise differently.”
Lee at Dongguk University also emphasized the importance of community relationships. He explained that when residents make small efforts — such as asking neighbors for understanding about noise or sharing food — disputes rarely escalate into serious issues.
“Communication can play a key role in easing tensions. But right now, even that kind of interaction is largely absent,” he said.
“We need mechanisms in our society to resolve these kinds of conflicts. At the same time, everyone living in shared housing should cultivate a certain level of mutual understanding and tolerance,” he added.