04-07-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
South Korean officials remove 80 tonnes of hoarded garbage from family home
Published: 10:21pm, 4 Jul 2025 City officials in Daegu, South Korea , have removed 80 metric tonnes (88 US tons) of garbage from the home of a family of hoarders, after the residents of the household were sent to local medical facilities for psychological treatment.
The massive clean-up occurred over three days last month, city officials said on Thursday.
The family, consisting of a woman in her 60s and her two adult children in their 40s, was placed under 'administrative hospitalisation'. This process involves the forced admission of individuals whose diagnosed mental disorders pose a danger to themselves or others, according to a report from The Korea Herald.
The son reportedly has a severe intellectual disability, while his mother and sister suffer from Plyushkin's disorder – also known as hoarding disorder – which is a condition characterised by an inability to part with possessions. Once the family was admitted for treatment, officials persuaded them to consent to a 'wide-scale cleaning' of their home in Daegu, a city about 310km (193 miles) southeast of Seoul . Plyushkin's disorder – also known as hoarding disorder – is a condition characterised by an inability to part with possessions. Photo: Shutterstock
The huge build-up of rubbish had led to pest infestations and unpleasant odours, prompting complaints from neighbours.
