The news of that day has passed, but its meaning remains with us today. "That Day, Today" reads the present through the records of the past. <Editor's note>
Oct. 13, 2023. A former professional ssireum wrestler indicted for beating his upstairs neighbor to death while drunk was handed a prison term in his appeal as well. The Daejeon High Court's first criminal division, presided over by Chief Judge Song Seok-bong, sentenced A, who is in their 30s and was indicted on charges of inflicting bodily injury resulting in death, to one year and six months in prison, the same term handed down by the lower court.
The case dates back a year earlier. On Nov. 20, 2022, A visited B to complain about noise coming from the apartment above, but when B offered a drink, the two sat down together to clear up the misunderstanding, investigators found. During the gathering, B slapped A in the face, and A, enraged, assaulted B a total of 160 times over about 50 minutes, eventually killing B, according to the indictment. B died while receiving hospital treatment from hypovolemic shock caused by multiple injuries to the face, head, chest and abdomen.
A argued during the trial, "I drank far too much in a short time, so I don't remember." A added, "All I could think about was that I had to take the victim, who was heavily intoxicated, home, and I think I got angry when I was struck while the victim was resisting."
"Former wrestler likely foresaw death"
The lower court said, "As a former ssireum wrestler, A appears to have been fully capable of foreseeing that death could result from the assault," adding, "However, the victim's pre-existing illness appears to have contributed to the death, and the court took into account the settlement reached with the bereaved family." It imposed a term of one year and six months.
The prosecution, which had sought 15 years, appealed on the grounds that the sentence was unjustly lenient. A also appealed, arguing that the causal link between the assault and the death could not be established, citing errors in the finding of facts, misapplication of the law and an improper sentence.
The appeals court said, "The autopsy confirmed multiple fractures along with subcutaneous bleeding from the victim's ribs to the face and head," adding, "Hypovolemic shock appears to have occurred because of impaired blood-clotting function caused by a pre-existing illness, but given the physical conditions of the defendant and the victim and the nature of the assault, a causal link is established." It dismissed both appeals.
From thumping sounds to killings: "Response system must be strengthened"
Disputes over noise between floors in apartments and other multi-unit housing have escalated into violent crimes including homicide, emerging as a social problem. According to a report on the state and characteristics of crimes linked to inter-floor noise, published in 2024 by the Police Science Institute of the Korean National Police University, 734 violent and assault offenses triggered by such noise occurred over the 10 years from 2013. About 10% were serious violent crimes such as homicide, and about 40% involved a weapon.
Telephone counseling related to inter-floor noise has topped 350,000 cases over the past decade or so. According to data submitted by the Korea Environment Corporation to Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, the Floor Noise Neighbor Center received a total of 355,047 first-stage telephone consultations from 2016 through August this year.
By year, the figures topped 30,000 annually: 46,596 in 2021, 40,393 in 2022, 36,435 in 2023, 33,027 in 2024 and 32,662 last year. This year, 26,852 consultations were handled through August. That works out to about 110 a day, or 82.2% of last year's total.
The center supports easing noise disputes between neighbors through first-stage telephone counseling and second-stage on-site assessments. Over the same period, 89,901 second-stage on-site assessment requests were filed and 90,937 were processed. The processing figures include complaints carried over from the previous year. By type, additional telephone counseling accounted for 70,124 cases, or 77.1%. Home visits totaled 16,602 cases (18.3%), and cases combining a home visit with noise measurement numbered 4,211 (4.6%).
Hwang said, "Noise between floors goes beyond a simple quarrel between neighbors. It destroys the tranquility of the home and even threatens people's lives, making it a social problem." He added, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and related agencies must strengthen follow-up management to check whether disputes are actually resolved after complaints are filed, and must reinforce housing construction measures to improve soundproofing performance as well as on-site mediation and response systems."
