Grandmother Collapsed on Icy Road at Dawn During Cold Wave, Rescued by 'Coupang Friend'

Coupang Logistics Service Awards Choi Nam-sun
Selected as 'Wow Hero'... Commendation and Prize Awarded
"Thinking of My Late Father... Anyone Would Not Have Passed By"

Coupang's logistics subsidiary, Coupang Logistics Service (CLS), announced on the 30th that it rewarded Coupang Friend (delivery worker) Choi Nam-soon for witnessing an elderly woman fall on an icy road during early morning delivery and calling 119 to prevent casualties. Jo Dong-hee, General Manager of Coupang Yangju 3 Camp (right), is presenting a certificate of commendation to Coupang Friend Choi Nam-soon (left).
[Photo by Coupang]

On the morning of the 18th around 6 a.m., while performing early morning delivery duties in a residential alley in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, Choi discovered an elderly woman who had fallen on an icy road and injured her head, and immediately called 119. Following the rescue team's instructions until they arrived, he took emergency measures such as removing his coat to cover her to maintain her body temperature and massaging her limbs to keep her conscious.

After explaining the situation to the paramedics who arrived at the scene and confirming that the elderly woman was transported to the ambulance, Choi returned to his duties. The location where the woman fell was a secluded residential alley, and in the freezing weather of minus 2 degrees Celsius, delayed emergency measures could have led to a serious accident. However, thanks to Choi's quick action, the elderly woman reportedly stabilized without major harm.

He said, "While moving for delivery, I heard a 'thud' and ran over to find an elderly woman fallen on the icy road. When I approached, her lips and entire body were trembling, and she was in a confused state of consciousness. I immediately called 119 and tried to prevent her body temperature from dropping by covering her with my clothes while continuously trying to communicate with her." He added, "Seeing her fallen on the icy road during the cold wave, I felt I had to do something no matter what."

Marking his third anniversary with the company this month, he was originally a photographer. However, due to the impact of COVID-19 and other factors, he quit his job and joined Coupang Friend upon the recommendation of his younger sibling, who is also currently working as a Coupang Friend. Choi said, "I am relieved that the elderly woman stabilized. When I saw her fallen, I thought of my late father who died from a head injury. I just did what anyone would do and could not pass by, but I am grateful and a bit embarrassed to receive this award."

His good deed was reported by the media. Subsequently, CLS held a reward personnel committee recognizing his contribution to customer and community safety, held an award ceremony, and presented Choi with the 'Wow Hero' commendation and prize money. CLS also plans to reward another Coupang Friend who was selected as an excellent safety case last November for discovering a fire during delivery, extinguishing it with a vehicle fire extinguisher on site, and assisting the fire department.

The CLS reward personnel committee stated, "We highly appreciate the Coupang Friend’s warm-hearted act of discovering a citizen in danger and decided to award him. We will continue to prioritize customers anytime and anywhere."

Meanwhile, Coupang operates the 'Wow Hero' award system to encourage those who risk difficulties to help neighbors in emergencies such as life-saving, crime prevention, and disaster response.

Coupang's logistics subsidiary, Coupang Logistics Service (CLS), announced on the 30th that it rewarded Coupang Friend (delivery worker) Choi Nam-soon, who witnessed an elderly woman fall on an icy road during early morning delivery and prevented casualties by reporting to 119. Coupang Friend Choi Nam-soon is taking a commemorative photo after receiving the 'Wow Hero' award.
[Photo by Coupang]