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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Wheelchair-bound Taiwanese Couple Seeks 'Gangnam Station Hero' Who Intervened Against Harasser

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A Taiwanese couple, traveling in Seoul on a wheelchair, is searching for a "hero" who intervened when they were harassed by a drunk man at Gangnam Station.
  • The couple reported that a man in white, using an umbrella, initially protected them, and later another man in yellow helped push the aggressor away on the train.
  • The incident has garnered significant attention online, with many Koreans expressing apologies and gratitude to the helpers.

A heartwarming search is underway in Seoul for two unidentified individuals hailed as "heroes" after they protected a Taiwanese couple from harassment on the subway. The couple, who were traveling in a wheelchair, recounted their frightening experience on the Seoul Metro's Line 2 at Gangnam Station late on June 19.

Last night around 11:30 p.m., while waiting for the subway at Gangnam Station on Line 2 towards Gyodae Station, a threatening drunk man approached us. He shouted loudly and crouched down right in front of us.

— Taiwanese CoupleDescribing the initial encounter with the harasser on the subway platform.

According to a post shared on the social media platform Threads, the couple was waiting for a train when an aggressive, intoxicated man approached them, shouting and crouching directly in front of them. "We were so scared we had to move our wheelchairs back, but he kept coming closer," the post detailed.

Their ordeal took a turn when a man dressed in white intervened. He used an umbrella to shield the couple, creating a barrier between them and the aggressor. Although they boarded their train, the harasser followed, continuing to threaten them. Just as they considered getting off at the next stop, the man in white reappeared, this time accompanied by a second man in yellow.

We were so scared we had to move our wheelchairs back, but he kept coming closer.

— Taiwanese CoupleDetailing their fear and attempts to evade the aggressor.

This second man, described as physically imposing, used his umbrella defensively to push the intoxicated individual about three meters away from the couple. The man in white also took the initiative to call the police. The couple noted that he apologized on behalf of Korea, understanding they were Taiwanese visitors.

A young man in white protected us with an umbrella, blocking the drunk man. When we got on the train, the drunk man also got on and came to us, grabbing the handle and speaking threateningly.

— Taiwanese CoupleRecounting the first intervention by a bystander.

"Thanks to these two men, we were safe and will leave Korea with warm memories," the couple expressed in their post. The story quickly resonated online, with numerous netizens offering apologies for the incident and praising the "angels of Gangnam Station." Many expressed gratitude that the couple's experience was ultimately positive due to the timely intervention of these strangers.

Just as we were terrified and considering getting off at the next stop, the man in white, along with a well-built man in yellow, pushed the drunk man about 3 meters away from us, like a shield with their umbrellas.

— Taiwanese CoupleDescribing the second intervention and the combined effort to protect them.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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