A heartwarming story of a restaurant owner who gave away free water kimchi late at night to a young man desperate to find food for his critically ill grandmother has captured widespread attention online.
According to posts circulating on online communities on the 4th, restaurant owner A uploaded a post to Threads on the 31st of last month detailing the incident. A was finishing up cleaning alone after the staff had left for the night when a phone call came in.
Thinking it might be a reservation, A answered, and a man on the other end spoke in an urgent voice, pleading, "I’m running over right now. My grandmother won’t eat anything else, she can only eat a little bit of water kimchi. Can I buy some water kimchi?"
A grabbed some water kimchi and headed down to the first floor to wait for the man. Moments later, a young man wearing slippers and no socks came running up, gasping for breath, and pulled a 10,000-won bill from his chest to hand over.
A refused the money and simply handed over the water kimchi, telling him, "You ran so hard you’re completely out of breath. Just hurry back so your grandmother can eat."
The young man repeatedly bowed and expressed his gratitude, saying "Thank you," before heading back.
A week later, the young man returned to the restaurant. Without a reservation, a group of about 25 customers entered the restaurant, and the young man stood out among the group, who carried a somewhat subdued atmosphere.
The young man approached A and said, "Boss, I came back after successfully holding my grandmother’s funeral. I was so, so grateful for the water kimchi you gave me last time."
He then introduced A to his accompanying family members, saying, "This is the boss who just gave us the water kimchi last time."
Only then did A realize why the young man had been so desperate for water kimchi in the middle of the night. A shared, "For a moment, I wasn’t sure what was happening, but my heart became heavy and touched. I am just glad I could add a small warmth to the grandmother’s final journey. May she rest in peace."
Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "It must have been the last food that the grandmother, facing the end of her life, was able to eat," "It must be an unforgettable water kimchi for the family," "It’s so heartwarming that the family revisited the restaurant after the funeral," and "The owner’s kindness protected the family’s final memory."
