Gimhae City Selects 8th and 9th 'Uiroun Citizens'

Gimhae City, Gyeongnam, selected Mr. Song Bongheum (left) and Mr. Jeong Haechan (right) as righteous citizens.
[Image source=Gimhae City]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, announced that it presented certificates and consolation money to Jeong Hae-chan (57) and Song Bong-heum (57), who were selected as the 8th and 9th Righteous Gimhae Citizens.

Jeong, a taxi driver, helped apprehend a drunk driver who fled the scene near a large supermarket in Daecheong-dong last February. At the time, the drunk driver crossed the center line, drove in the wrong direction, and did not stop at a crosswalk, posing a high risk of secondary accidents. The driver continued to flee after crashing into a police vehicle that blocked the way.

When the patrol car was rendered inoperable by the impact, Jeong took the police officers in his taxi and chased the drunk driver for about 400 meters, ultimately helping to apprehend the fleeing vehicle.

Jeong said, "Since the police car was hit and damaged, I naturally thought it was drunk driving, and I only had the immediate thought that I had to follow."

Song witnessed the police chasing a fleeing vehicle in Daecheong-dong around 11 p.m. last March while returning home after finishing a delivery part-time job. He chased the vehicle for about 1 km in his own car and helped block the vehicle to aid in its capture.

The driver of the fleeing vehicle was found to have driven in a severely intoxicated state for more than 20 km from Changwon Tunnel to Daecheong-dong, evading police pursuit and fleeing three times.

Song said, "I thought there should be no casualties resulting from a traffic accident," and added, "Since I am very familiar with the road, I judged that even if my car was slightly damaged, I could block the escape route and stop the vehicle."

Mayor Heo Seong-gon said, "I applaud the courageous actions of these righteous citizens who, without regard for their own safety in a dangerous situation, prevented greater harm," and added, "We will continue to honor the noble intentions of citizens who perform righteous acts and use them as examples."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.