"Grandpa, I'll Help You"…Elementary Students Rush Over When Recycling Cart Tips Over

Ansan City Awards Certificates of Commendation to Students Who Performed Good Deeds

A heartwarming story of a group of elementary school students rushing to help an elderly man whose handcart collecting waste paper tipped over has been shared on a blog run by a local citizen journalist.

Beautiful good deeds of elementary school students captured on a car side mirror. [Image source=Ansan City Citizen Reporter Blog]

On the 28th, Ansan City announced that Mayor Lee Min-geun invited the four students who helped the elderly man and their families to the city hall to present them with certificates of commendation. Mayor Lee said, "I feel proud that there are righteous students who readily step forward to help others in need," and added, "On behalf of the citizens, I express my gratitude to the students who set an example by practicing the value of 'togetherness'." A city official stated, "The students who received the certificates briefly expressed that they thought it was only natural to help," and added, "The parents requested that while photos are fine, their children's names should not be disclosed."

Students of Ansan Gwansan Elementary School who received a certificate of commendation for their good deed in helping elderly people collect waste paper.
[Image source=Ansan City]

The story behind their commendation is as follows. On the 8th, a blog run by a citizen journalist in Ansan posted an article titled "A Beautiful World Captured in a Side Mirror: A Heartwarming Story of Proud Children of Ansan Helping an Elderly Man Pulling a Cart Full of Waste Paper," along with a photo. The photo, seemingly taken through a car's side mirror, showed four elementary school students with backpacks pushing the cart from behind to help the elderly man who was struggling to walk.

On the 23rd of last month, in front of an apartment complex on a road in Seonbu-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan City, an elderly man pulling a cart loaded with waste paper lost control of the cart due to exhaustion, causing it to tip backward. The load on the cart also spilled out. Seeing this, four fifth-grade students from nearby Gwansan Elementary School ran over to assist the elderly man who was having difficulty moving.

Coincidentally, a citizen passing by in a car witnessed the scene, immediately stopped the vehicle, and helped the students pick up the spilled waste paper and securely tie it back onto the cart. As the citizen was about to leave, they noticed through the side mirror that the students were still pushing the cart and, feeling proud, took a photo of the reflection and reported it to the citizen journalist.

The reporting citizen said, "The children's actions were so beautiful that I took a photo of their reflection in the side mirror and reported it," and added, "As long as there are such kind children in Ansan, South Korea, I believe our future, and Ansan's future, is bright."