Couple Tormented by Neighbor's Smoking Before Childbirth Wins Damages

This is a story that is quite aggravating yet strangely satisfying.

A resident who continued to smoke heavily inside their apartment and on the balcony—despite a pregnant neighbor's pleas—causing secondhand smoke damage next door, has ultimately been ordered to pay 1.5 million won in compensation.

Let us refer to the couple who begged the neighbor to stop smoking as Couple A, and the neighboring resident as B.

The Jeonju District Court ruled in a damages lawsuit that B must pay 1.5 million won in consolation money to Couple A.

The apartment complex where they lived featured a corridor-style layout.

As B continuously smoked inside their home and on the balcony, cigarette smoke kept seeping into Couple A's apartment through wall gaps and the balcony.

Although Couple A repeatedly asked B to refrain from smoking through the management office, B did not comply.

At the time, Couple A's spouse, who was expecting a child, even had to receive hospital treatment due to continuous secondhand smoke and stress.

Couple A submitted evidence including the environment where cigarette smoke inevitably flowed indoors, management office complaint records, and the pregnant spouse's medical records.

The court ruled that B's actions constituted an illegal act that infringed upon the right to health and a peaceful residential environment.

It just goes to show how much we need to be considerate of our neighbors.

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