Story of Myeongdong Station Staff Saving a Foreign Child Who Choked While Eating Jelly?

On the morning of the 1st, a 7-year-old American boy choked on jelly at Myeongdong Station on Subway Line 4
Staff quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver, saving a precious life

On January 1st, the first day of the new year, an employee working at a subway station saved a precious life through prompt action.

Seoul Metro announced on the 1st that an employee at Myeongdong Station on Subway Line 4 saved a 7-year-old American boy who choked on jelly by performing the Heimlich maneuver.

At around 11:04 a.m. on the 1st, a request for help came to the Myeongdong Station Customer Safety Office for a boy who had choked while eating jelly. Four employees, including Deputy Manager Choi Byung-jik, who was on duty at the time, quickly responded and checked the patient's condition, finding the 7-year-old American boy in a critical state, unable to breathe.

After assessing the situation, Deputy Manager Choi Byung-jik and Supervisor Kim Beom-jun alternately performed the Heimlich maneuver emergency procedure, restoring the child's breathing to normal. Immediately afterward, they switched to a video call with the 119 paramedics to monitor the patient's condition until the paramedics arrived. The patient was then safely transported to Seoul National University Hospital.

The Heimlich maneuver is an emergency procedure used when the airway is blocked by a foreign object, posing a risk of suffocation. For adults, the rescuer wraps their arms around the patient's waist from behind, grasps their left fist with the right hand, and forcefully pushes upward on the solar plexus or strikes the back to expel the foreign object. For infants under one year old, the Heimlich maneuver is performed at a 45-degree angle.

Ma Hae-geun, Head of the Sales Headquarters at Seoul Metro, said, “Prompt reporting to employees in case of emergency patients in the subway is a key factor in saving lives,” and added, “The company will do its best to ensure citizen safety through continuous emergency response training for employees.”