An octogenarian grandmother who received help at Yeongdeungpo Station in Seoul 48 years ago because she couldn't afford her child's train ticket returned to the station with 5 million won in cash to repay the kindness. Yeongdeungpo Station employees posted a reply on the station bulletin board to express their thanks.
According to the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) Metropolitan Western Headquarters on the 14th, an octogenarian woman visited Yeongdeungpo Station on the morning of the 26th and handed over a handwritten letter and an envelope containing 5 million won in cash.
The letter began, "I am only now trying to repay a very old debt."
The grandmother recalled, "In Oct. 1978, I came to Yeongdeungpo Station on a local train from Jeongeup," adding, "At that time, my child was an elementary school student, but because I didn't have money (500 won), I only bought my own ticket and my child had none."
She continued, "When I explained the situation to the stationmaster, gratefully, the stationmaster told us to go, and as I turned away after bowing, I vowed to repay it before I died," adding, "It's very late and far from enough, but I was grateful and thankful."
Even after 48 years, the grandmother, who had not forgotten the consideration shown then, brought to Yeongdeungpo Station a handwritten letter penned character by character along with 5 million won—10,000 times the fare at the time.
To convey their gratitude, Yeongdeungpo Station employees the previous day posted a reply titled "To the grandmother from Nangok-dong" on the station's bulletin board.
The employees wrote, "Thanks to the courage and warm heart you gave to Yeongdeungpo Station that day, and the great inspiration, we spend every day like a gift," adding, "We have never gained such a deep realization in our lives."
They continued, "As station staff, you also made us think again about the mindset with which we should approach each and every customer," adding, "We will not forget the heart you showed us for a long time. We will strive to be people who pass on warmth and good memories to someone."
It was reported that after her son, who had been battling illness, recently passed away, the grandmother prepared the letter and cash to repay the debt of gratitude she had carried for a long time.
As the story spread, online reactions included, "I want to live like that," "Thanks to the person who remembered the kindness and to the station staff who wrote the reply," and "This warms the heart."
An official at the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) Metropolitan Western Headquarters said, "When the grandmother offered the cash, we firmly refused, but she insisted on giving it specifically to Yeongdeungpo Station, so we ended up accepting it," adding, "Because she did not want her identity disclosed, we thought about how to express our thanks and decided to write a reply inside the station." The official added, "We processed the money she gave as other income and are reviewing how to use it."