A case of converting a shared apartment hallway into a private gym has come to light, sparking a dispute over illegality.
On the 23rd, an online community, Bobae Dream, carried a post and photos titled "An apartment neighbor built a private gym in the hallway." The writer said, "An apartment neighbor built a private gym in the hallway. They even installed a wall-mounted rack," and added, "Let me know the illegalities committed by this neighbor."
In the released photos, someone laid wooden boards on the floor of the shared apartment hallway and is using it as an exclusive space. Exercise equipment such as a bench press, barbell and dumbbells are placed there. Holes were even drilled into the wall to fix a pull-up rack.
In response, online users said things like, "I thought it was an AI composite photo," "The management office that just leaves it is also a problem," and "It's astonishing how brazenly they use it like their own home." Some users raised the possibility of illegality, saying, "Stacking items in an evacuation route may violate the fire safety law," and "Unauthorized occupation of a shared space constitutes a violation of the Multi-Family Housing Management Act."
In fact, under Article 35 of the Multi-Family Housing Management Act, excluding remodeling under the Housing Act, if one changes the use or expands shared areas, one must obtain permission from or file a report with the mayor, county head or district head. Violations may be subject to fines of up to 10 million won.