Story of Army Soldiers Visiting 'Paekdabang' Store Gains Attention
Thank You Message on Beverage... "Hope They Have Pride as Soldiers"
"Wishing for a Society Full of Romance That Expresses Gratitude"
"Thank you for protecting our country."
Recently, a story about an Army sergeant who received this supportive message from a part-time worker at the franchise cafe 'Paikdabang' has attracted attention, and the identity of this part-time worker has been revealed.
The phrase "Thank you for protecting our country" written on the plastic lid of a beverage purchased by Mr. A at a franchise store in Seoul. [Image source=Facebook page 'Yukgun Hullyeonso Daesin Jeonhaedeurimnida']
On the 9th, on Channel A's 'Kim Jin's Morning Call,' 20-year-old woman Ha Ji-ho, who had warmed the public's hearts with the so-called 'Paikdabang part-timer good deed,' shared her thoughts. Ha said the reason she wrote the phrase was because "it seemed that there was a tendency to take the sacrifice of soldiers for granted or to ignore it," and added, "I hope soldiers can feel pride even through small actions."
Ha's support for soldiers was not her first time. She reportedly wrote the same phrase on drinks served to all soldiers. Ha said, "I thought soldiers should always naturally receive gratitude, so I wanted to express my thanks even a little."
She also said, "It is upsetting that such a small act of gratitude becomes an issue, and I feel sorry that I, not the soldiers who are still working hard, am receiving the spotlight," adding, "I hope our society becomes one full of the romance of expressing gratitude."
Earlier, on the 4th, a story from active-duty Army sergeant A was posted on the Facebook page 'Delivering Messages from the Army Training Center,' sharing how he was deeply moved after buying a drink at Paikdabang.
Sergeant A, who was on a weekend outing before his discharge, discovered the phrase "Thank you for protecting our country" written on the lid of the drink he ordered at a Paikdabang store in Nowon-gu, Seoul.
A said, "As a soldier of the Republic of Korea Army, it was the first time I received words of thanks from someone," expressing his emotion, "I felt that the world is still wide and warm, and I was comforted by that one sentence."
He continued, "Recently, there have been many heartbreaking incidents involving soldiers like me, but there are still many warm-hearted people in the world. I am reporting this to wish for the safe discharge of all military personnel."
Netizens who read the story responded warmly with comments such as "Small consideration creates emotion," "Such a kind-hearted person," and "Leaving such a message is also an act of courage."
In response, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs also announced, "We are looking for the employee who wrote 'Thank you for protecting our country' on the drink ordered by an Army soldier at a cafe in Nowon." Park Min-sik, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, said, "I would like to award a special commendation to Ha, who gave courage to the soldiers."
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