50 Households Still Living in 44-Year-Old Changwon Apartment Despite Use Restrictions and Bans

Exterior walls with chunks missing and cracks spreading everywhere, ceilings collapsed, and mold-ridden master bedrooms.

On the 29th, Bongam Apartment in Bongam-dong, Masanhwewol-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, truly showed the full passage of its 44 years since completion.

In front of each building, yellow notice boards indicating that they are "structural safety hazard facilities" were installed, and multiple crack width measuring devices were attached to the exterior walls.

A resident who has continuously lived in a second-floor home of this apartment since right after its completion lamented, "People farming outside worry about the lack of rain these days, but at least inside, I think it is fortunate that it doesn't rain."

This was because "when it rains, water leaks all over the house and it becomes unmanageable."

A male resident in his 60s said, "There are houses where roofs collapse, and chunks of washbasins falling off are a frequent occurrence," adding, "Every day is anxious and a mess."

This apartment consists of three-story buildings across eight blocks and was completed in 1982.

Amid aging, signs of danger began to emerge in April 2024, such as ceiling concrete falling off.

In response, the city conducted emergency safety inspections starting in February of last year, and in September of the same year, four blocks were rated Grade D (poor) and the remaining four blocks were rated Grade E (very poor).

For the Grade D blocks where critical defects were found in the facilities, the city recommended "use restrictions" to secure safety.

For the Grade E blocks, the city issued a "use ban" public notice.

Grade E means a state where severe defects pose a risk to facility safety, requiring immediate suspension of use, reinforcement, or reconstruction.

On September 8 of last year, the city even issued evacuation orders to residents of the Grade E blocks based on the Act on Countermeasures Against Natural Disasters.

However, out of the 65 households living there around the time the use restriction and ban notices were issued, only 15 households have left as of this month.

Fifty households consisting of 81 people are still living in Bongam Apartment.

Among them, 23 households reside in Grade D blocks and 27 households in Grade E blocks.

Residents say that the reason they cannot leave this place despite taking on anxiety in such poor conditions is because there are no suitable alternatives.

Residents continue to stay in the apartment building, citing the necessity of compensation and the burden of costs that would arise throughout the relocation process.

Support projects implemented by the city to help residents relocate include supplying LH rental housing, supporting moving expenses (up to 1.5 million won), and providing jeonse (lump-sum deposit lease) fund loans of up to 10 million won (3-year grace period with equal installment repayments over 3 years, interest-free during the grace period and 3% during the repayment period).

However, residents argue that even with city support, they have no choice but to shoulder a certain portion of the costs before and after the actual relocation, and they do not have the financial capacity to afford even that.

A resident in their 70s living on the first floor of a Grade D block said, "I don't have money, and even if they support relocation, it is not enough," adding, "Since my husband has a boat, he occasionally catches fish and makes money. If we move to a place far from the sea, how will we make a living? What if the boat doesn't even sell?"

Residents continue their anxious daily lives, saying, "We don't know what will happen if even a typhoon comes."

From the city's perspective, because it is private property, the owners who are the management entities bear the responsibility for facility maintenance, management, and safety measures. Therefore, the city maintains its clear stance that compensation such as purchasing the property requested by residents is impossible, while encouraging residents to relocate.

Under current law, violating an evacuation order carries a fine of up to 2 million won and can also lead to criminal accusations, but the city has not actually imposed fines or taken accusation measures due to concerns that it could provoke residents' emotions.

In preparation for any unexpected safety accidents, the city has installed displacement measuring instruments in each block to periodically check changes in building inclination and crack patterns.

It was found that fortunately there have been no special changes up to the present since last year.

A city official said, "Since it is private property, it is difficult for the city to implement compensation," and added, "We plan to closely monitor the building situation while continuously encouraging residents to relocate."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.