This study examines odor survey results from 2020 and 2024 in the D-City Dyeing Industrial Complex to identify the structural limitations of Korea’s odor control system under the Odor Prevention Act and to assess their administrative implications. Despite significant improvements in both complex and designated odor substances within legal standards, residents’ complaints persisted. This discrepancy suggests that the concentration-based regulatory framework fails to reflect the sensory perception of intermittent odors shaped by meteorological, topographical, and receptor factors. Moreover, the reporting system for odor-emitting facilities is not a legally binding administrative act, limiting local governments’ ability to impose optional measures such as complete process enclosure. These institutional and spatial constraints are transferred to front-line administration, where overburdened officials exhibit street-level bureaucratic behaviors (such as simplified compliance and reactive complaint handling) as adaptive strategies. Drawing on Lipsky’s (1980) theory of street-level bureaucracy, this study interprets such practices as rational responses to structural constraints and proposes policy reforms emphasizing financial support, the adoption of odor-frequency indicators, and the reinforcement of administrative capacity. The findings indicate that effective odor management requires an integrated approach combining institutional reform with strengthened capacity for local implementation.