80 tons of garbage removed from hoarder family in Daegu

Daegu city officials said Thursday that they have removed some 80 metric tons of trash from the home of a family of hoarders in Suseong-gu, and the residents have been admitted to local medical facilities for psychological treatment.

The family consists of a woman in her 60s and her daughter and son, both in their 40s. The son has severe intellectual disability, while the mother and daughter suffer from Plyushkin's disorder, which is characterized by compulsive hoarding.

The years of hoarding had led to vermin infestation and stench, which prompted a series of complaints from their neighbors.

Susjeong-gu Office attempted to address the issue, trying to persuade the family to part ways with the useless objects and cleaning the home 11 times since 2020. But the family continued to hoard garbage even after the government intervention.

The district office moved forward with what is known as administrative hospitalization, which refers to forced admission to medical facilities if the subject's mental illness threatens the health of other people. It is authorized by the head of a regional government — ranging from government and mayor level to district office heads — and mandates a professional diagnosis of the mental disorder.

Once admitted to treatment centers, the Suseong-gu officials persuaded the family to consent to a wide-scale cleaning of the home. The cleaning job carried out in June removed about 80 tons of garbage over three days.

Suseong-gu plans to conduct further repairs on the home, such as replacing the deteriorated sink, and vowed to continue reaching out to households suffering from compulsive hoarding.