DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Good News

Minister Seeks Bus Driver Who Helped Elderly Passenger After Restroom Accident

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is seeking to identify a bus driver who helped an elderly passenger who had an accident while using the restroom on a bus.
  • The passenger, who had difficulty walking, experienced an accident on the bus, and the driver assisted in cleaning and changing the passenger's clothes.
  • The minister expressed a desire to award the driver for his compassionate actions, calling him a 'neighbor's umbrella on a rainy day.'

South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee has launched a search for a bus driver who demonstrated exceptional kindness by assisting an elderly passenger who soiled themselves during a journey. The minister expressed a strong desire to recognize the driver's compassionate act, stating she wishes to present him with a ministerial commendation.

I want to find the bus driver mentioned in the article. On a rainy, difficult day, the driver's sincerity in willingly extending a helping hand to a neighbor touches my heart.

— Kim Hyun-meeMinister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport expressing her desire to find and honor the bus driver.

The heartwarming incident came to light when a netizen, identified only as 'A,' shared the story on Threads on August 16th. 'A' recounted traveling on a highway bus from Seoul to Yangsan when a fellow passenger, an elderly individual with mobility issues requiring a cane, experienced an accident in their seat as they were unable to reach the restroom in time.

According to 'A,' the bus driver immediately stopped at a rest area and personally helped the elderly passenger clean up and change into new clothes. 'A' also assisted, having purchased replacement trousers for the passenger. The driver reportedly showed no signs of discomfort or reluctance throughout the process, even ensuring the passenger's seat was tidy and providing a cushion afterward. The driver even offered to pay for the new trousers, but 'A' declined.

The driver was truly amazing. He never showed any displeasure and personally helped clean the passenger and tidy the seat, even providing a cushion.

— Netizen 'A'Describing the bus driver's compassionate actions towards the elderly passenger.

Minister Kim shared the story on X (formerly Twitter), calling for the driver to be identified. She conveyed her deep emotion at the driver's willingness to help a fellow human being in a difficult situation. "The driver became a neighbor's umbrella on a rainy day," Kim wrote, adding her gratitude to 'A' for sharing the story and concluding, "The world is still worth living in, and it is warm."

The world is still worth living in, and it is warm.

— Kim Hyun-meeMinister Kim's concluding remark after sharing the story, emphasizing the positive human element.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog