Water up to the waist... Delivery worker crosses flooded road to make delivery
Criticism over "lack of safety awareness" and "recklessness"
"Penalty for canceling even in dangerous situations... Please see this as a structural problem"
On July 17, when more than 400mm of torrential rain poured down on Gwangju in a single day, a delivery worker who ventured out to deliver food even as floodwaters rose to waist level on inundated roads became a hot topic. This worker commented, "I simply did what I was supposed to do," but also pointed out, "This is not about individual recklessness, but rather a structural problem."
On August 4, a self-employed business owner, referred to as A, who runs a salad shop in Gwangju, posted a video on Instagram with the caption, "On July 17 at 5 p.m., the water was up to my waist, but I'm looking for the legendary delivery worker who picked up the order." The video was shared alongside the post.
Water up to the waist... Delivery worker crosses flooded road to make delivery
On that day, Gwangju recorded 426.4mm of rainfall in a single day, the highest July daily precipitation since weather observations began. The water levels of the Yeongsan River, Sotaecheon, Gwangjucheon, and Seobangcheon rivers and streams rose, resulting in casualties and flooding, including two people reported missing.
The video shows delivery worker B crossing a road with water up to his waist to pick up a food order, then returning across the flooded road to reach his motorcycle. The video has garnered more than 6.8 million views and has become a major topic of discussion. Online commenters reacted with remarks such as "Truly the nation of delivery," "Such professionalism," "Amazing," and "Even while staggering, he's careful not to let the food get wet."
As the video went viral, B left a comment explaining the situation, saying, "This happened in front of the main gate of Chonnam National University on the day about 400mm of torrential rain fell." B explained, "The current was so strong that if you lost focus, you could be swept away. Even the police told me not to cross back, but I crossed again to deliver the food to the customer. I thought I was just doing my job, but I was surprised when I received the video from an acquaintance. I'm safe and alive."
Criticism over "lack of safety awareness" and "recklessness"
On the other hand, many people raised concerns about safety, saying, "This shows a lack of safety awareness," "Shouldn't the delivery have been canceled in such conditions?" "Reckless," and "Truly dangerous." In response, both A, who accepted the customer's order, and B, who made the delivery, offered explanations. A explained, "There were two instances of flooding at the location shown in the video. The video is from the second flooding. After the first flooding, the water receded somewhat and the situation seemed under control, so we resumed delivery service. However, while I was away for about 20 to 30 minutes to change out of wet clothes, a much larger amount of rainwater rushed in compared to the first time."
She continued, "The entire team was busy blocking water from entering the first floor, canceling existing orders, and attending to customers in the dining area all at once. Amidst this chaos, the delivery worker for an order placed before the water rose had already arrived on the other side. I was surprised and ran up to the second floor, grabbed the menu, and brought it down."
"Penalty for canceling even in dangerous situations... Please see this as a structural problem"
B also stated, "Right after the heavy rain, the road was submerged. After the water receded and cleaning was done, I saw it myself and thought the road was back to normal, so I accepted the pickup call. However, when I arrived, the road was suddenly flooded again and already closed to traffic. Having come from a distance to take the call, I couldn't give up on the delivery."
He emphasized, "This was not due to individual recklessness, but because of a structural issue with the platform," and pointed out, "Even in dangerous situations, calls are assigned and penalties are imposed for cancellations. This system still exists." He added, "Both I and other riders know better than anyone that this is not worth risking our lives for. I hope people will take a closer look at the realities riders face."
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