What’s the Story Behind a New Employee at Jongno-gu Office Saving an Elderly Person?

Jongno-gu Changsin 2-dong First-Year New Public Official Saves Vulnerable Elderly Living Alone Through Prompt Response

A quick response by a new public official at Jongno-gu Office, who has been in public service for less than a year, has become a hot topic after saving a resident who had attempted an extreme act.

The protagonist of the story is Officer Yeo Tae-woon, who works in the Village Welfare Team at Changsin 2-dong Community Service Center.

On April 27, Officer Yeo received a phone call from Mr. A, a resident in his 50s whom he had been checking on since December last year. After Mr. A calmly said, "Thank you for everything," and hung up, Officer Yeo sensed something was wrong and rushed to the man's home.

Mr. A, a single-person household with no family or acquaintances to contact regularly, is part of the vulnerable elderly living alone group. In recent years, his health had deteriorated, and after losing his job, a series of misfortunes led him to attempt an extreme act on his own.

Mr. A had previously attempted an extreme act as well. In December 2022, after receiving a troubling phone call, Changsin 2-dong Village Welfare Team Leader Lee Hyung-yoon and Officer Yeo visited his home.

Officer Yeo, who is almost like a son to Mr. A, has since maintained regular meetings and contact for nearly half a year, taking great care of him. Additionally, whenever donations such as ramen and daily necessities arrived at the community center, Officer Yeo personally delivered them to Mr. A’s home, continuing their connection.

Bird's-eye view of the new Jongno-gu Office building under construction

On the day of the incident, as soon as Officer Yeo hung up the phone and hurried to the house, Mr. A was in a critical condition.

Officer Yeo immediately notified emergency services by calling 112 and 119. Fortunately, Mr. A regained consciousness, and the arriving paramedics checked his health and identity before transporting him to a nearby hospital. He is currently recovering in the hospital and, after persuasion by Officer Yeo, agreed to receive suicide high-risk group management through a connection with the Jongno-gu Mental Health Welfare Center. Starting next week, the center plans to visit the hospital where he is admitted to provide immediate counseling and case management.

Changsin 2-dong has been promoting specialized projects to alleviate loneliness among residents living alone, considering that nearly 80% of single-person households in the area are low-income.

Representative examples include the Chang-i Hidden Singer (singing class) and Side Dish Expedition projects. These involve visiting beneficiary households to deliver food and conduct welfare checks, helping single-person households maintain steady interaction with neighbors to reduce loneliness and support them in living as healthy members of society.

Officer Yeo Tae-woon said, "When I first saw the scene, rather than fear, my first thought was that I must save this person," adding, "I will continue to keep a close watch after his discharge and help him fully recover his daily life."

Changsin 2-dong Chief Kim Eung-jae stated, "The courage and sense of duty of this new public official, who has just taken his first step into society, saved a life," and added, "We will carefully support not only the resident but also the staff member so that they can grow into excellent public officials without trauma."