Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Missile Command Kid]

We've been living in our apartment for about a month now, and today while I was at work one of our neighbours in our building knocked on the door. She brought with her her real estate agent, who spoke a little English, and gave my wife the impression that our two children (2 years and 10 months) have been keeping the couple below us awake "day and night." Now, we have two babies, so understandably we're a bit noisier than most, but the kids are usually awake at 7am or so and asleep by 9pm. I'm not exactly sure what's keeping them awake while we're all sleeping here; perhaps it's the obnoxiously loud hum of our refridgerator, or perhaps the droning of our fluorescent lights are keeping them awake.

Now, we're not exactly sure what to do about this situation. I'm sure that they've just moved in recently, as the suite downstairs wasn't finished when we moved in. As such, I can guess that this couple (late 40s, early 50s) might be a bit miffed at their real estate agent misrepresenting the virtues of our apartment block, but at the same time we're not going to tie and gag our children so that they can have peace and quiet.

I can really sympathise with them. We've lived in apartments where neighbours have blasted music at 2 or 3 AM, where neighbours have been abusive (one who threatened to attack me who had to be forcibly evicted by the cops), and where neighbours simply don't care about anybody but themselves. I've been there, and I can honestly say that I don't want to tick anybody off. But there's not a whole lot we can do: we're not going to stop disciplining our kids because it causes too much racket, you know?

So part of this post is a rant, and the other part is wondering what they can actually do to us. There's not a whole lot we can do, and I think they get that: when they were explaining this to my wife, my son was having a great deal of fun hearing his voice echo in the hallway, and my daughter was crying. But can we get kicked out of our apartment? Can they cause trouble for my boss? Can we bribe our way out of this by leaving them a Chusok gift at their door, addressing it from "The Loud Neighbours With Children Upstairs"? Solutions, commiseration, or any other comments are welcome.

[laogaiguk]

Noise bylaws, in Korea ???

I hate to assume this, but did they know you were foriegn. I get the distinct impression of racism (especially by an older couple) as I just don't hear of Koreans complaining about things like that. They barely complain of things we would shoot other people for back home Again, I sense it's not the noise, but the fact that foreigners are making noise, or even worse, just the fact that there are forigners. People back home would make up all kinds of excuses to get tenants they didn't like kicked out.

[anae]

laogaiuk may be right. I once lived in an apartment with a couple of other teachers and the downstairs neighbours complained we were walking too loudly.

[brento1138]

Old folks complain about everything, doesn't matter what country. They just got nothin' better to do!

[Juregen]

I suggest you don't take that.

Babies are not Dogs that can be silenced, babie are what babies are. Do they want you to put mufflers on their mouths?

If they complain again, tell them all the troubles will be over in a few months.

[okokok]

If your kids are in bed from 9 to 7, they've got nothing to complain about. I've lived in many places and in each apartment my neighbors above me are slamming things around or running around in the middle of the night with no concern for anyone else.
I'll never understand this place.

[casey's moon]

What the....

I hate to say it, but I think the fact that you're foreigners is a factor. Koreans don't complain about noise -- not unless it is extreme, and especially not if the ones making the noise are young children.

In a class I once gave about giving advice, one of the questions was, "My neighbours play loud music all night long -- what should I do?" and the most common answer by far was, "Move."

I don't think they can really do anything about it. But to make life pleasant, you could continue being sympathetic and apologise whenever you run into them and just be so good-natured that they really won't know what to do. The Chuseok gift isn't a bad idea either -- not that they deserve it at all, but it might help make you and your wife feel more comfortable with the situation.

[Homer]

A very unusual complaint.....

You are not doing something unreasonable here. You have kids....

Ask other neighbors next to you or next to them if they have a problem with you making noise all night....my feeling is that this will end the story right then and there....


Outside of that they do not seem to have a leg to stand on.

[billybrobby]

Start a dialogue. Talk to these people and figure out what the problem is. If it turns out they're just unreasonable people, well, then, be glad it's them who has the problem with it and not you

[Qinella]

[djsmnc]

Keep those kids in line

[animalbirdfish]

Wow, this is a full turnabout: Koreans complaining about a foreigner making noise. I had to read the OP a few times, just to make sure I wasn't reading it backwards.

[Missile Command Kid]

[periwinkle]

My friend had a problem with his neighbors, and he called the police a couple of times, talked to the landlord, the real estate agent, etc. There was ASOLUTELY NOTHING he could do about the situation (he moved, in the end), so don't worry about noise ordinances or anything like that. They might be looking for a convenient excuse to get out of their lease, which is probably why they brought the real estate agent. You guys were the scapegoats. ^~ I wouldn't buy them a gift- they are causing you and your wife grief- why reward them? Nice gesture, but you've done nothing wrong and shouldn't feel obligated. One more thing- I swore my neighbors upstairs had a barking dog, but it was actually the people downstairs. Maybe the acoustics are off, and they're blaming the wrong neighbors... Good luck!

[willardmusa]

I agree that it really does sound like the couple is unhappy with the apartment and are looking for an out, and of course every Korean can empathize with their plight: they have to hear people in the above apartment speaking in a foreign tongue ! That alone should give them reason to break the lease !

Your plight reminds me of a little social experiment I did while living in Daejon. Lived on campus in a "guest house" apartment that was in a wing of the dormitory buildings. Windows faced the quad, of sorts. One Saturday night, while the campus was rocking with a Korean pop festival just a few hundred yards away, the security guard comes knocking at my door saying my music is too loud. It was some Peter Rauhofer disco mix type stuff, playing on a portable Samsung CD / Radio that pumps 50 watts. Window was open, so guess it could be heard in the quad.

This happened again on a few occasions. Each time it was when I was playing something like house or disco-ish mix type music. I have an ecletic taste and also play, at the same volume, traditional Korean music, including some of the old "TROT" stuff - - (which I find quite good background when I'm in a writing mode).

Once, while playing some TROT, I see the security aujulshi outside in the quad, so I decide to try something: I crank it as loud as I can and put the player by the window. No reaction.

On another occasion, I try some Korean "cabaret" - - no reaction.
Later, it was "pansori" - again, no reaction.

I then try some Junior Vasquez (house / disco) - - up he comes to ask me to turn down my music.

I go through this routine of Korean then western for several months whent he opportunity presents itself and the results are predictable: Korean music is not noise; western music is noise.

So, . . . you and your kids could likely shout your heads off in Korean language and there'd be no mention of it. But, do the same in English - or any foreign tongue, and its cruel and unusual suffering for your Korean neighbors!