A Seoul apartment complex in a wealthy district has inflamed public anger with a decision to lay off its temporary workers en masse, following an incident in October of a security guard at the complex setting himself on fire after reportedly suffering repeated insults from residents.

A group of resident representatives of the New Hyundai Apartment complex said Thursday that it decided not to renew the contracts of 106 workers ― 78 security guards and 28 cleaners ― all of which expire on Dec. 31.

From Nov. 19-20, the complex in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam district, informed the workers of its plan to dismiss all of them in the coming weeks.

A representative denied that residents had continued to verbally abuse the contract workers.

“(The workers) have only highlighted the security guard’s suicide without publicizing the fact that some residents provided guards who had poor financial situations with beverages, teas and scholarships for their children,” he said.

He said the residents decided to lay off the workers because they felt a sense of betrayal despite the hospitality they showed them, arguing that the deceased guard was a patient suffering from depression.

But many netizens allege that the move to fire the workers came after they staged a protest linked to the guard’s suicide, triggering a wave of public anger toward the residents.

“It is lamentable that the well-to-do in one of the country’s most affluent areas do not show generosity toward the have-nots,” those whose monthly wage stays under 2 million won ($1,790), said a netizen.

The 78 security guards previously decided through a vote to go on strike in late November and filed a petition for labor dispute meditation with the Seoul National Labor Relations Commission.

The security guard who set himself on fire in an apparent suicide attempt in October was taken to a hospital but later died from his injuries. According to his colleagues, the man, who was in his 50s, had been verbally abused and badly treated by one particular resident.

In late 2012 a security guard in his 60s who was working for the New Hyundai Apartment complex was laid off because he had written an apology for having failed to record his patrol activities once.

Security guards there who had written apologies for having dozed off on the job or for covering part of the lighting with a newspaper to adjust the light in the guard post were all recently laid off. They were all part-time workers who had passed the retirement age of 60.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)