Korean Apartment Residents Cite Parking as Biggest Frustration (Image supported by ChatGPT)
SEOUL, May 31 (Korea Bizwire) — Parking issues remain the leading source of frustration for apartment dwellers in South Korea, according to a new analysis of resident complaints filed through a popular apartment management platform.
Apartmenti, a residential service app, revealed Friday that parking-related grievances accounted for 33% of the more than 100,000 complaints submitted through its mobile application between April 2024 and April 2025.
The most common complaints involved lack of parking space, double parking, and unauthorized use of parking spots by non-residents.
The proportion of parking-related complaints rose by four percentage points compared to the previous year, signaling persistent dissatisfaction among residents despite continued attention to the issue.
In Korea, someone who parks their car sideways across multiple spaces in a lot designed for several vehicles is called a “parking villain” (주차 빌런). Such behavior is a frequent source of frustration for residents in apartment parking lots. (Photo source: captured from an online community)
Noise complaints came in second at 20%, followed by smoking at 19% and elevator issues at 12%. Noise complaints primarily stemmed from inter-floor disturbances, wall-to-wall sound transmission, and construction-related noise.
Notably, smoking-related complaints surged by 15 percentage points year-on-year, with over half of those cases involving indoor smoking in shared buildings — a growing source of tension in densely populated complexes.
“Complaints regarding parking, noise, and smoking have all increased compared to the previous year,” said Hwang Seo-young, head of service operations at Apartmenti. “We are closely monitoring resident concerns and plan to actively incorporate these insights into future service enhancements to improve communal living in apartment complexes.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
