
A few days ago I found the notice on the left in the photo above in my apartment building. The notice states that someone from the local government will be conducting an illegal search of my apartment building tomorrow. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. About ten years ago, a similar notice appeared and I took the day off from work to keep the “inspector” from getting into my apartment without a search warrant–which, naturally, he didn’t have. After a bit of the expected veiled threats and attempts at intimidation and trickery that inspector gave up and left, and I’m hoping that the one tomorrow will go as well.
The two pages of Korean text next to the notice are a translation of the Bill of Rights, with the Fourth Amendment highlighted. I found this on the website of a civil rights organization called Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, which has translations of the Bill of Rights into many different languages. Most of my neighbors were born in Korea, and many speak no English, so I figured it was likely they wouldn’t be aware that they have the right to refuse warrantless searches of their homes. Hopefully reading the translation of the relevant US law will help at least some of them stand up for themselves and their liberty.
Update: This time around the inspector took “get a warrant” quickly and without making a fuss.