In South Korea, smell complaint ignites indoor barbecue etiquette debate
- A South Korean woman in her 20s reportedly had the police called to her flat by a neighbour who claimed it was illegal to prepare grilled pork belly indoors
- The incident has sparked debate over the rights and wrongs of indoor barbecuing, and spotlights an increase in nuisance complaints since the pandemic began
Is it acceptable for people living in high-rise buildings to barbecue meat indoors?
The woman, who is in her 20s but did not give her name, said in a post on November 8 that she had been preparing the dish for lunch one day at about 1pm when a neighbour living two doors down came and rang her doorbell to complain.
It was “common sense” not to barbecue indoors, the neighbour – a middle-aged woman with a long-term lease on her flat – reportedly said, before complaining about the smell and telling the younger woman that she “should not grill meat while living in somebody else’s home”.
Later that day, the younger woman had three friends over for dinner and again decided to barbecue some meat. But the meal was soon interrupted by the neighbour, who took to banging on the door after no one answered the doorbell and started yelling about how it was illegal to barbecue indoors.