2023 Seoul trip (enthusiastic Korean people)
蔡進南
2 years ago
First time traveling to Korea with my daughter, I received assistance from many Korean people due to my own negligence; I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Korean people through this article.
Due to a 7-day free trip with my daughter in early July this year, we planned to spend the entire fifth day at the Everland amusement park. Originally, we planned to take the subway back to our accommodation near Dongdaemun History Park, but to our surprise, we had so much fun at the park that we didn't realize the last train on the Bundang Line had already passed when we arrived at the Everland subway station. In a state of confusion, we hurriedly asked the only young man and woman waiting for the train nearby. At the same time, the light rail train bound for Gixing (K237) also arrived. Once on board, the young people quickly showed me a screenshot of the transportation information they had found for me to take a photo of. A few minutes later, I got off at the Tundeon station (Y125). After getting off the train, the subway station was completely empty. The subway station may be in a remote location and it was pitch black around. I found a young couple and quickly approached them to ask for help. The young man immediately helped me check and took a screenshot for me to take a photo of. We communicated back and forth using mobile phone translation. He informed us to get off at the busiest station and personally led us to the nearby bus stop. The young man accompanied us to wait for a few minutes until the bus arrived at the bus stop. I used Korean to inform the driver of our destination before he left. Their enthusiasm was truly remarkable.
After riding the bus for nearly an hour, we got off at the Jiangnan Xinlun Xian Station. As we got off, we saw a cluster of tall buildings and a large crowd of people. There were also numerous bus stops along the road and on the safety islands. It was quite overwhelming and confusing at first, maybe due to language barriers and other factors. We asked several people for directions, but had no success. Just as we were about to ask again, a middle-aged woman suddenly appeared. She said she knew a little bit of Chinese and happened to overhear our conversation. After understanding the situation, she kindly pointed us to the bus stop on the safety island and personally led us across the street to the boarding area. She informed us of the bus number and stayed with us until we boarded the bus, waving goodbye as we left. The kindness of this middle-aged woman was truly touching.
After boarding the car, I took a screenshot on my phone to indicate the drop-off point to the driver. A nearby uncle walked over and looked at my phone, signaling that the destination had arrived and he would inform me. Although it was just a small gesture, it still made me feel very warm.
This long night, I took a ride from Lotte World to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park. Despite the twists and fatigue, it also allowed me to see the kindness and enthusiasm of the Korean people. The two young couples and the aunt and uncle who helped us along the way still touch me deeply. Lastly, I want to say: The people of Korea are even friendlier and more enthusiastic than I imagined. Thank you again.
