It was revealed that the guesthouse at "Olympic Park Foreon" in Gangdong District, Seoul, which had blocked reservations by general residents due to noise issues, was provided for nearly two months to households subject to defect repairs at the request of Hyundai Engineering & Construction. It was confirmed that the community center director authorized the use without reporting to the residents' representative council or a separate contract.
According to the Olympic Park Foreon life support center and the residents' representative council on the 3rd, sky guesthouse room 3503 in the complex was used as a temporary accommodation for households subject to defect repairs from on July 7 to Aug. 31.
The room is a suite that only residents can reserve, and the nightly rate is 250,000 won. If using the spa, an additional 50,000 won must be paid. Hyundai Engineering & Construction agreed to cover about 14 million won, including the room rate.
This fact became known recently after related suspicions were raised in a resident chat room in the complex. One resident said, "We need to clarify with whose approval a room that general residents could not use due to defect and inter-floor noise complaints was provided to a specific person," and demanded an explanation from the management entity.
Earlier, at the end of July, the Olympic Park Foreon life support center announced that reservations for guesthouse rooms 3502 and 3503 were blocked. Room 3502 had been out of operation since Nov. last year, and room 3503 since May this year.
At the time, the life support center explained, "Every time guests changed, households on the lower floor continued to file complaints about inter-floor noise, reverberation from the spa area, and pipe noise," and "we inevitably suspended the operation of some rooms."
However, households subject to defect repairs had been staying in room 3503 since on July 7, before the notice was issued. A room blocked to general residents due to noise issues was used as a temporary accommodation for a specific household for nearly two months.
The sky guesthouse has a total of eight rooms on the 35th floor, the top floor of buildings 302 and 304. Overlooking Olympic Park, it is known among residents as a highly favored facility.
As the controversy grew, the community center director of "Club Foreon," the complex's community facility, issued an apology on the 2nd and disclosed how the room was provided.
According to the director's explanation, Hyundai Engineering & Construction carried out defect repair work on one household in July, fully demolishing walls and floors. To assist the resident who found it difficult to live at home during the construction period, Hyundai Engineering & Construction proposed several alternative accommodations, including hotels, and the resident requested to use the guesthouse within the complex.
The director said, "At the time, there was a shortage of guesthouse rooms available, so we conveyed that, in principle, use would be difficult, but Hyundai Engineering & Construction repeatedly asked whether a room that was out of operation could be used," adding, "we allowed the use of room 3503 on certain conditions."
The director further explained, "We judged that guesthouse usage fees would generate income and could help, in part, reduce community facility maintenance costs during the summer."
However, the director said, "In the end, this judgment and action did not conform to the guesthouse operation rules and proper procedures," adding, "we fully acknowledge responsibility for proceeding without sufficient prior notice and consultation with residents." Hyundai Engineering & Construction is scheduled to pay the full guesthouse fee of about 14 million won by the 15th.
The residents' representative council found that the community center director provided the room based on an independent judgment.
An official from the residents' representative council said, "Neither the council chair nor the community director was briefed on the matter," adding, "the entire process proceeded without the application form normally completed when using the guesthouse or a contract related to the fee." The official added, "We express regret over the inappropriate handling of duties that could undermine residents' trust," and "we are checking the related documents and the approval process."
Hyundai Engineering & Construction maintains that it used the guesthouse with the management entity's approval and will bear the full fee.
A Hyundai Engineering & Construction official said, "To minimize the resident's inconvenience during the repair work, we proposed several alternative accommodations, including hotels," adding, "we inquired with the community center about using the guesthouse and were informed that we could use a room that was out of operation."
The official added, "It was used with the management entity's approval," and "the guesthouse usage expense will be fully borne by our company."