Home is a resting place for people to unwind after a long day, and it is also a private space where they can enjoy their own leisure life. However, recently, the problem of noise between floors is constantly emerging. It is the reality of our society that fights between neighbors are taking place due to noise between floors which can even lead to murder. Accordingly, Pharos would like to hear about the social situation caused by noise between floors and how it affects students at Kyonggi University.

 Social Issues Due to Noise Between Floors 

 Everyone has at least one experience in their life of waking up in the middle of the night due to noise between floors. Due to a recent case of attempted murder due to apartment noise in Incheon, the seriousness of the noise problem was once again emphasized. In Incheon, noise in a villa resulted in police responding to a second situation hours after the upstairs tenant first came down and kicked the victim's front door and made a fuss. During this second time, suddenly, the perpetrator from upstairs wielded a weapon. The wife of the downstairs apartment was injured in the neck, and the daughter next to her was also injured, resulting in the major crime of attempted murder. There also a case of actual murder in Hanam, Gyeonggi-do in 2016. A man in his 30s living downstairs had a conflict with an elderly couple upstairs over noise issues, but he could not bear it and committed murder. A more recent incident occurred due to the lack of consideration for each other. It was a situation in which a neighbor visited the perpetrator upstairs, damaged the front door with bricks, and threw bricks at the tenant, saying that there was noise between floors. At first, the perpetrator knocked on the front door several times to solve it with a conversation, but when there was no response, he hit the front door with a brick, so the victim opened the door and was injured. It is regrettable that the events could have been sufficiently solved through dialogue and that the tragic outcomes were avoidable. As such, noise between floors is no longer a small social problem. If we have a little consideration for each other and make concessions, we can continue to live our lives safely away from violent crimes such as murder and assault.

 Noise between Floors at Kyonggi University

 Interviews were conducted with students living in the main gate villas, rear gate villas, and the dormitories of the school. The questions were: Have you ever experienced noise between floors? If you have experienced it or if such a situation occurs, how will you deal with it? What is the biggest cause of noise between floors and what methods are needed for a considerate residential environment?

 A student living at the main gate: When there is noise between floors, I will tell the landlord first. Even though it has changed from the usual environment, noise between floors is often generated by normal activity. Therefore, it is necessary to be more careful about our everyday behavior, keeping in mind that other people also live in the same building.

 A student living at the rear gate: Recently, I experienced high-pitched noise until late at night. At first, I thought I would just deal with it, so I waited. However, the noise continued, and I solved it by visiting in person and politely asking them to quiet down. I think the biggest cause is the inability to recognize that alcohol is causing noise between floors. Since many people are living in close proximity, loud noise can cause inconvenience to another party. I think we should always think about this and be careful about each other.

 A student living at the dormitory: I lived in the dormitory and experienced noise between floors, but I chose to endure it because confrontation would make for an awkward situation. The biggest cause is structural problems. The wall itself feels like a temporary wall, so you can hear everything even if the other person is just talking loudly in the next room. As the soundproofing is not good, I hope my neighbors can refrain from loud conversations at late hours and become familiar with dormitory etiquette.

 Your home is a place where you can relax without being conscious of others. If you are stressed by noise between floors in a space where you need to rest, your house feels like hell. In the apartment republic, noise between floors can be experienced by anyone, and residents can be both victims and perpetrators. Each student at Kyonggi University has a different type of residence, various situations, and different sensitivity to sound. The common solution is having consideration for nearby neighbors. Therefore, it is difficult to practically regulate these situations with laws and rules. In the end, it is most effective to solve noise issues through consideration and communication with each other.

75th Reporter • KANG ROK KI• krk1754@naver.com

75th Reporter • KIM YUN JUNG • dbswnd7676@naver.com