South Korea’s escalating problem of the ‘inter-floor’ noise took a tragic turn on January 28th when A*, a 30-year-old woman, was stabbed by her 50-year-old neighbour, B*.

B is currently facing accusations and undergoing interrogation for the stabbing and subsequent murder of A.

It was discovered that B and A had been living in the same villa for the past three months, with resident A living directly above B.

The strained relationship between A and B stemmed from the incessant noise created by loud banging on the door in A's floor, which prompted constant complaints from B.

On January 28th, A and B coincidentally happened to encounter each other on the stairs, which led to an argument initiated by B’s habitual complaints.

However, the disagreement soon escalated into a physical confrontation, prompting B to return to his house to get a weapon, which he used to commit the subsequent offence.

A sustained multiple stab wounds as a result of the weapon and was taken to hospital but eventually succumbed to her injuries and passed away.

B is reported to have been caught by the police while fleeing from the scene of his own murder.

The underlying concern highlighted by this news is that it is not the first case of a South Korean citizen who had committed a crime, more frequently murder, as a result of the irritation caused by inter-floor noises.

In 2019, an 18-year-old teen was reported to murder a 75-year-old man, who lived upstairs.

Similar to the recent incident between A and B, the conflict between the teen and the victim originated by the excessive inter-floor noise.

Soon after the argument, which involved serious injuries to the victim, the victim was hospitalised but passed away.

Despite how seemingly insignificant inter-floor noise may seem, these noises act as a stress-inducing factor, increasing the stress hormones.

The released stress hormones then stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which is an autonomic nervous system.

This further leads to a hyperactivity of the sympathetic nerve, yet the continuation of the hyperactivity may lead to an increase in blood pressure, glucose levels, and lipid concentration.

Then, the cascade of reactions caused by the inter-floor noise may ultimately factor into cardiac output, causing cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis, angina, and myocardial infarction.

Notably, as reported by Yubin Cho, the negative effect of the inter-floor noises on one’s health is intensified due to ‘unexpectedness’ of such noises.

For instance, car horns have a significantly higher decibels but they do not disturb people to the same extent as inter-floor noises because people expect such noises when they are in the car.

When confronted with inter-floor noises, it is best to solve the issue within the legally accepted standards.

It is especially important to note that trespassing, ringing the doorbell, and knocking on the front door are explicitly prohibited, so caution is required.

If it is challenging to solve the issue between the parties involved, individuals can also seek help by the Inter-floor Noise Neighbourhood Centre.

If you are experiencing any conflicts caused by inter-floor noises, please visit the Inter-floor Noise Neighbourhood Centre’s website: https://floor.noiseinfo.or.kr/floornoise/

*The name has been replaced with A and B for the respective individuals’ anonymity.

USung Hwang

Grade 12

Seoul Foreign School