An Elderly Person Collecting Waste Paper, Seen Doing Something in Front of a Snow-Covered Unmanned Store

Place a blanket at the door entrance to prevent people from slipping

On Christmas Eve, the 24th, when heavy snow fell, the entrance of an unmanned store in Incheon was clean without any traces of snow accumulation. A mat was also laid out in front of the entrance to prevent customers from slipping.

After checking the CCTV, it was found that an elderly man collecting waste paper near the store had been clearing the snow in front of the store since early dawn. Moved by this, the store owner gave the elderly man a cake as a gift.

On the 25th, a story was posted on the online self-employed community 'Apeunikka Sajangida' about an elderly person who, on Christmas Eve day, was pulling a cart collecting scrap paper near a store and cleared the snow piled up in front of an unmanned store, laying down a blanket to prevent slipping before leaving. [Photo source = Capture from the 'Apeunikka Sajangida' community]

On the 25th, a post titled “I will share a warm story” was uploaded on the Naver cafe ‘Because It Hurts, I’m a Boss’. The author, Mr. A, who operates an unmanned store in Jung-gu, Incheon, said he visited the store on the morning of the 24th to start cleaning. He stated, “Since it is an unmanned store, there are often traces left by customers, so I planned to visit the store and start cleaning first.”

However, the snow in front of the store had already been cleared. A cloth was laid at the entrance, seemingly to prevent pedestrians from slipping. Mr. A thought it was done by a diligent and hardworking part-time worker and left a message with a proud heart, but the part-time worker said it was not them.

Curious about who it was, Mr. A reviewed the CCTV and was surprised. The person who cleared the snow was Mr. B, an elderly man collecting waste paper near the store with a handcart. Mr. A shared his impression, saying, “There was footage of Mr. B clearing snow and laying a blanket at my store,” and “He was even clearing snow in front of the neighboring cafe that had closed down before dawn.”

At around 7:30 a.m. that day, while it was still dark because the sun had not fully risen, Mr. B also cleared the snow piled up in front of the neighboring cafe that had ceased operations.

Mr. A 공개ed the CCTV footage in front of the store.
[Photo by Afunikka Sajangida Community Capture]

Mr. A speculated, “A few days ago during the day, when I went to the store, there were no customers, but someone was charging a phone. I thought a customer had left it charging and forgotten it, but it turned out to be Mr. B’s phone. At that time, I just cleaned without saying anything. So I think that’s why he cleared the snow as a kind of thank you.”

He added, “I want to express my apologies and gratitude, and since it’s Christmas, I prepared a small cake as a gift for Mr. B. I will gently place it on top of the neatly stacked boxes and leave it.”

He quoted a line from poet Ahn Do-hyun’s poem “I Ask You”: “Don’t kick the coal ashes carelessly / Have you ever been a warm person to anyone even once?” He said, “I hope we can become a society where we can do thankful deeds for those around us while reflecting on these words,” and added, “There are still many warm-hearted people.”

After the story became known, comments were posted such as “My heart feels warm,” “I read this and smiled,” “It’s such a thankful story. The world is still warm,” “Both the owner and that person are truly good people. It feels like the world is worth living because of people like them in this harsh world,” “It makes me realize once again that there are many good people in the world,” and “Such warm stories at the end of the year feel like a gift.”