The residents' representative council of Godeok Arteon in Gangdong District, Seoul, said on the 8th regarding the recent "notice requesting cooperation to maintain order" sent to nearby apartment complexes that "outsiders can move through Arang-gil, and therefore it is not true that access is completely blocked or that a fee is collected merely for passing through."
The Godeok Arteon residents' council said, "We have expected it to stabilize while maintaining the opening of Arang-gil, which is directly connected to Sangil-dong," adding, "However, outsiders are disorderly using the entire complex through about 20 walkways connected to Arang-gil, and as a result, invasions of privacy and infringements on the right to housing continue."
The council added, "Even though the entire complex has been designated as a no-smoking area, in light of the need to prevent and manage accidents such as high-rise building fires caused by outsiders' smoking, we are opening only the central walkway."
As the background for recently sending the notice requesting cooperation to maintain order, the council said, "Because the public walkway is private property, the responsibility for management and safety for accidents that occur in that space is imputed to residents." Under current apartment housing management laws and regulations, the management entity is required to bear liability for damages for accidents caused by intent or negligence.
The council noted, "As pedestrian openings have led to a surge in outsiders' passage, not only has the risk of accidents for residents increased, but a structure has formed in which residents shoulder even the legal and financial burdens for outsiders' accidents," adding, "This is the result of the government designating public walkways for the public interest while thoroughly evading management and responsibility on the grounds that they are private property."
The council continued, "Accordingly, we established order-maintenance rules through a resident consent process," adding, "▲ No entry for electric kickboards, electric bicycles, and motorcycles ▲ No speeding on bicycles ▲ Restricted access for companion animals without identification tags ▲ No illegal dumping of garbage, etc. If these are violated, we will collect an order-maintenance fee or request eviction, and if refused, we plan to take civil and criminal action."