A Restaurant That Made 'Special Meals for His Daughter' for a Young Private... Didn't Even Charge Money

Private First Class Arrives at Restaurant Just Before Closing Time, Owner Warmly Welcomes Him
"No Single-Person Menu, So Provided Special Meal Usually Made for Daughter... Food Is Free"

A restaurant owner near the Military Transport Training Battalion in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, has become a hot topic after it was revealed that they served a 'special meal' to a private returning to the unit and did not charge for the food.

Image to help understand the article.
Photo by Getty Images Bank

On the 17th, a post titled "A Young Soldier Who Came at Closing Time" was uploaded to an online community. The author, Mr. A, who identified himself as a self-employed person running a restaurant near a military base, began, "On a day when snow was falling heavily, there were no customers and it was almost closing time as I was tidying up, a young soldier in uniform came in alone."

Mr. A said, "Since the restaurant is located near a military base, soldiers often visit," adding, "However, since we sell two-person menus, it is rare for customers to come alone." He continued, "I saw the soldier hesitate before coming in, so I told him to sit down first. He was a private, and it seemed he had missed mealtime while returning from leave. It was almost 8 p.m., and since it’s a rural area, there were no restaurants open late or convenience stores nearby," explaining the situation at the time.

Mr. A said, "Since there was no single-person menu, feeling sorry for him, I gave him a special meal that I usually only made for my daughter because she likes it," adding, "I made it bubbling with plenty of roe, gonji (fish eggs), tofu, and bean sprouts, just like how I prepare it for my child." He also added, "Worried that the private might feel burdened, I placed two bowls of rice and ramen noodles on the table and told him to eat slowly and take his time."

Mr. A shared his feelings, saying, "I pretended to clean the kitchen while watching (to see if the private was eating well). Since he didn’t eat openly, I thought he might not eat well." He continued, "He must have been very hungry because he quickly finished two bowls of rice and ate all the roe and gonji. He also ate the ramen noodles well."

After finishing the meal, the private thanked Mr. A, saying, "I’m sorry for leaving some food because my return time is tight." Mr. A said, "The private insisted on paying, but since the food wasn’t on the menu, I couldn’t accept it," adding, "I told him to be careful on his way back to the unit in the snow and said goodbye. The soldier kept saying 'Thank you' repeatedly."

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "You can feel the owner’s good character just by reading the post," "That soldier must have had a very happy meal," "It must have been a great comfort to serve in the military far from home," and "I think many people will go to 'donjjul' (a newly coined word combining 'don' meaning money and 'honjjulnada' meaning to punish) soon to support the owner."

A soldier on leave ordered Kalguksu. The cost of the Kalguksu was paid by a man dining at the same restaurant, which became a hot topic.
[Photo by Online Community]

Meanwhile, heartwarming stories of not charging military personnel for meals or paying on their behalf continue to bring warmth to society. On the 16th, a woman in her 20s who paid for the meal of soldiers dining at a restaurant near Yongsan Station became a hot topic, and on the 11th, a story was shared on social media about a man in his 20s who paid for the meal of an active-duty soldier at a Kalguksu (hand-cut noodle) restaurant near Eonju Station in Gangnam, Seoul, which garnered high views.