At Yeongdeungpo Station, staff members expressed their gratitude through letters posted on the bulletin board for an elderly woman who returned to repay a long-standing debt. Nearly 48 years ago, she was unable to purchase a train ticket for her young son, and on August 26, she visited the station to deliver a cash envelope containing 5 million won.
According to a representative from Korea Railroad Corporation's Western Metropolitan Headquarters, the woman, in her 80s, presented a handwritten letter along with the cash to a station employee around 11 a.m. on that day.
The story dates back to October 1978, when the grandmother, facing financial difficulties, could not afford a ticket for her son to travel from Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, to Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. The stationmaster allowed them to board the train without collecting the fare of 500 won.
After nearly five decades, the grandmother returned to Yeongdeungpo Station with an envelope bearing her son's name and insisted on making the payment. Despite the staff's repeated refusals, they ultimately accepted her gesture.
Following her departure, the station employees responded with a letter titled 'To the Grandmother from Nangok-dong.' The letter expressed their commitment to remember her kindness and to approach customers with the same warmth she demonstrated.
A representative from the Korea Railroad Corporation's Western Metropolitan Headquarters noted, "The staff initially insisted they could not accept the money, but the grandmother was adamant about wanting to give it to Yeongdeungpo Station. In the end, we had no choice but to accept it, and it has been categorized as 'other income.'"
He added, "Beyond the monetary value, it was a moment to reflect on the warmth of the human spirit. This incident has inspired all railway staff to strive for better service while maintaining that same spirit of kindness."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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