Provided a bowl and drink upon hearing about money shortage
Later visited with parents, bringing cash and a heartfelt handwritten letter
A story about a restaurant owner and children sharing warmth over a bowl of Jjajangmyeon has become a hot topic online.
On the 28th, an online community called BobaeDream posted a message titled 'A father is looking for the children who ate Jjajangmyeon and left.'The author, Mr. A, began by saying, "My father runs a restaurant in a complex shopping mall in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon."
On the 28th, an online community called BobaeDream posted a message titled "A father is looking for the children who ate Jjajangmyeon and left." In the photo uploaded by Mr. A, who wrote the post, there is a letter that appears to be written by a student along with an 8,000 won bill. [Photo source=Online community 'BobaeDream']
He continued, "Some young friends, about elementary school age, came to the store, and after much hesitation, they ordered one bowl of Jjajangmyeon. My father asked whether they ordered just one bowl because they were full or because they didn’t have enough money."
The children replied, "We only ordered one bowl because we didn’t have enough money," and my father gave them one more bowl, though slightly less than the regular portion, and also gave them a can of drink," he explained the situation.
Mr. A added, "A few days later, on a day when my father wasn’t at the store, the child and their parents came together and left a handwritten letter along with 8,000 won in cash with the store staff. When my father heard this and came to work, he felt sorry for not giving them a bit more Jjajangmyeon at that time and has been waiting for the children to come back."
He also said, "My father keeps the letter and money and said he wants to treat the (student’s) family to a meal if they come again. I wrote this post hoping that if anyone knows them, they would send me a message."
On the yellow stationery, it says, "Thank you so much for the jajangmyeon and drink, but I felt a bit uneasy receiving them for free, so I prepared a little money for the jajangmyeon price," and "When I grow up, I will become a person who gives like the owner." [Photo by Online Community 'BobaeDream']
Finally, Mr. A wrote, "In these difficult times when life is hard and increasingly harsh for everyone, I’m posting this on an online community to share a warm heart."
Photos posted by Mr. A show the 8,000 won bill along with a letter apparently written by the student. On the yellow letter paper, it says, "Thank you so much for the Jjajangmyeon and drink, but I felt a little uncomfortable receiving it for free, so I prepared some money for the price of the Jjajangmyeon," and "I will grow up to be a generous person like the owner someday."
Netizens who saw this responded with comments like, "Ordinary people live well by giving and receiving like this," "They seem like children growing up with good values, which is heartwarming," and "This is touching."
Some netizens doubted the authenticity of stories with repeated twists and turns
Last March, a story from an internet user claiming to have paid 55,000 won?the price of one bowl of Jjajangmyeon?at a "Good Chinese Restaurant" that provides free meals to children in need, to support their good cause, was revealed to be false. [Photo source=Online community 'BobaeDream']
Similar to the above story, in 2021, a chicken franchise owner gained attention for showing kindness to a financially struggling sibling. At that time, many people visited the chicken franchise or joined donation campaigns, saying they would give a 'donjjul' (a newly coined term meaning to 'punish with money').
Meanwhile, there have been stories that initially seemed heartwarming but later revealed twists.
In March, a netizen’s good deed of paying 55,000 won for a bowl of Jjajangmyeon at a 'Good Chinese Restaurant' that provides free meals to underprivileged children was widely praised.
That story attracted significant attention online and in the media. However, when Yonhap News TV interviewed Mr. B, the owner of the 'Good Chinese Restaurant,' it was revealed that the protagonist actually paid 5,000 won, not 55,000 won, and the 55,000 won payment was a fabricated 'twist.'
Nonetheless, regardless of the story’s authenticity, Mr. B said that a real 'kindness relay' continued.
According to Mr. B, after the story became known, some customers called to order food saying, "Don’t deliver the food; just take the payment. I will donate it directly to the children," and a young couple gave an extra 10,000 won saying, "Use it for a good cause."
One netizen commented on the 'fabricated' story, saying, "Although the writer lied, it’s a relief that the store’s kindness is not fake."
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