"I Will Pay You Back Before I Die": Grandmother from Nangok-dong Repays Train Ticket Cost 10,000-fold After 48 Years, Bringing Yeongdeungpo Station Staff to Tears

A woman who was unable to pay 500 won for her son's train ticket 48 years ago has touched many hearts by returning 5 million won to settle the debt.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan West Headquarters of KORAIL, on the morning of August 26, an 80-year-old woman identified as A visited Yeongdeungpo Station in Seoul and delivered a handwritten letter along with an envelope containing 5 million won in cash.

Introducing herself as the "Grandmother from Nangok-dong," woman A recalled in her letter the time in October 1978 when she arrived at Yeongdeungpo Station on a local train from Jeongeup with her elementary school son.

Struggling with severe financial hardship, woman A had barely managed to afford her own ticket. When the station employee asked for 500 won for her son's fare, all she had left was a single bus token.

Understanding her difficult situation, the station master at the time let her son pass without collecting the fare.

In her letter, woman A reflected, "As I bowed and turned away, I vowed to myself that I would definitely repay this money before I die. It is very late and not much, but please accept this small token of my heart. Thank you so much for everything until now."

She paid back the ticket price 48 years later with 5 million won, which is 10,000-fold the original amount.

The staff at Yeongdeungpo Station, who received woman A's unexpected gift and letter, posted a reply on the station bulletin board to express their sincere gratitude.

The staff responded, "Thanks to the courage and warm heart you handed to us, we are spending every day like a gift," adding, "We have deeply realized how beautiful it is not to forget and to be grateful for the consideration received from someone, and with what mindset we should treat our customers."

They also added a warm greeting, saying, "Please feel free to visit us anytime," and "We are grateful and we love you."

(Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong, Video Editing by Kim Min-ji, Design by Lee Jeong-ju, Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.