![A Gyeongnam Express bus shared by a passenger who witnessed the act of kindness. [Threads]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/19/news-p.v1.20260818.e036da8b953e4fc78a77eaf7c196452e_P1.png)
Kim Yun-deok, minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said he wants to find and commend a bus driver who helped a mobility-impaired passenger on an intercity express bus.
On Wednesday, Kim posted a message on his Facebook page titled "Looking for the bus driver in the story."
"I read the story of a driver who willingly reached out to an elderly passenger in difficulty on a rainy express bus," Kim wrote. "I am deeply moved by the sincerity of a driver who, even in a difficult situation, became a helping hand for a fellow person."
Kim noted that while many passengers with limited mobility — including the elderly, people with disabilities and pregnant women — ride public transportation, others often fail to notice or find it hard to act.
He went on to say he hoped to track down the driver "who became a neighbor's umbrella on a rainy, dreary day" and present him with a ministerial commendation.
"I will not forget the hearts of the passengers who shared this good deed and readily offered their help," Kim added. "The world is still worth living in, and it is still warm."
The story spread after a cafe owner identified only as A shared on the social media platform Threads on Sunday what she had witnessed on an express bus returning from Seoul, where she had attended a family wedding.
"On the 7 a.m. bus, a passenger who appeared to be in their 50s or 60s and had difficulty walking without a cane boarded with my family and me," A wrote. Unable to use the restroom while the bus was moving, the passenger had an accident in their seat.
When the bus reached a rest stop, the driver personally helped wash the passenger. A went to a nearby store to buy a change of trousers and helped the passenger get changed alongside the driver.
"Above all, the driver was truly remarkable," A wrote. "He never once showed any sign of displeasure, washed the passenger himself, tidied up the seat and even laid down a cushion."
A also shared a photo of the front of the Gyeongnam Express bus she had been riding.
Online commenters flooded the post with praise and encouragement. "Even family members find it hard to deal with something like that — the driver is incredible," one wrote. Others called him "a rare person these days" and said "there are many good-hearted heroes in this world."
dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com
