Business Owner Who Prepared Meals for Young Men About to Enlist... Gets Emotional Receiving a Handwritten Letter with 50,000 Won

Boss Who Fed Young Men Before Enlistment
Received Cash and Note from a Discharged Young Man
"Thanks to You, My Military Life Was Encouraging"

Cash of 50,000 won received by Mr. A and a thank-you note. [Photo by BobaeDream]

A heartwarming story was shared about a restaurant owner who provided free meals to young men about to enlist in the military and later received a thank-you note and cash in appreciation.

On the 29th, an online community called BobaeDream featured a post titled "It Gives Me Strength." The author, Mr. A, who runs a restaurant in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, said, "Today, a young man came alone to eat at the restaurant, and when I went to clear the empty dishes, I found an envelope." Inside the envelope were 50,000 won in cash and a handwritten letter.

The letter read, "Hello. You may not remember me well, but I am a student who was indebted to this restaurant. I left this money here because two years ago, when I took a leave of absence from university due to military service and came here for my last meal, you kindly let me eat for free and encouraged me. I am very grateful and it remains memorable. Thanks to you, I found strength throughout my military service. I will be returning to university next year and will come back to eat here again."

Mr. A said, "After reading it, I realized he must be a nearby university student who came to eat at our restaurant before joining the military." He added, "I sometimes offer free meals to friends going to the military, but I had no memory of this young man, so I was quite surprised." He continued, "Having this happen today naturally made me feel good and somewhat fulfilled. Anyway, it became the driving force for me to work hard today."

He also said, "It was very tough, but thanks to this young man, it looks like I will continue my business next year as well." He concluded, "Whenever I hear stories like 'the world is still worth living in,' I used to just brush them off, but experiencing it firsthand made me truly feel that the world is indeed worth living in."

Netizens who read the story responded warmly with comments such as "The owner is great, and so is the young man," "It's really hard to offer free meals even when you know someone's situation," "I want to become an adult like that," "The warmest story I've read this year," "The sense to withdraw new bills is the best," "If only there were more people like this in Korea," "Please never close your business," "A young man who knows gratitude," and "Wishing your business prosperity."