Asan's New Apartments Struggle with Odor Issues

In Asan's newly established apartment complex, residents are grappling with persistent foul odors from nearby livestock farms. This issue arose soon after their move-in this summer, impacting their quality of life. The strong smells have even prevented families from opening windows during the hottest months, with some parents expressing significant concern about their children's well-being due to the air quality. Located near the Asan-Chuncheon border, over 30 livestock facilities are concentrated in this region, leading to widespread complaints from approximately 5,000 housing units in Asan's new town. Asan city officials have identified a major livestock facility about 5 kilometers away in Cheonan as a key source of the odor, while Cheonan authorities disagree and point fingers at the smaller farming operations nearer to the Asan complex. Since the issue first emerged six years ago, residents have filed around 4,000 complaints related to odor, ranking Asan fourth nationally in odor-related grievances. Despite the rising complaints, collaborative action to address the problem has been delayed, with each city conducting separate investigations into the source of the stink. Results of these studies are expected by mid-2024, at which point both cities will form a joint committee to discuss potential solutions.