Tower Palace, a high-rise luxury apartment block located at the heart of Seoul’s posh residential area of Dogok-dong, is known as an exclusive home to the rich and powerful.

Yet, their closed lifestyle does not necessarily mean a friendly neighborhood.

A Seoul court on Wednes­day rejected an appeal filed by a resident there identified by the surname Kim who sought a court ban on another tenant keeping a large pet dog.

“The court is not convinced that the dog in question caused Kim mental stress serious enough to affect his health conditions or overall wellbeing, as claimed by Kim,” ruled Judge Choi Sung-jun at the Seoul Central District Court.

Kim had argued that the dog, an 8-year-old Golden Retriever weighing 35 kilograms, caused him disgust and fear, infringing upon his basic rights. Kim claimed to have a chronic heart disease.

The resident also cited a tenancy rule of the apartment that prohibits keeping a pet dog weighing 15 kilograms or above.

The owner of the dog, identified by the surname Ham, moved in the same floor of the apartment as Kim in May 2010.

The court noted that Kim only encountered the dog three or four times for the past year and that other neighbors testified that the dog was docile toward strangers and was never seen behaving aggressively.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)