Seoul Metro Selects Three 'Subway Heroes,' Including Citizen Who Carried Elderly to Safety

Awards Presented to Ki-Han Park, Wooseok Lee, and Seung-Yeon Hwang

Seoul Metro has recognized and awarded three "subway heroes" who actively contributed to passenger rescue and accident prevention on Seoul Subway Lines 1 through 8 this year.

This year's honorees, Ki-Han Park, Wooseok Lee, and Seung-Yeon Hwang, assisted with the rapid evacuation of passengers and took swift initial action in various subway fire incidents, including an arson attack on Line 5 and a battery fire on Line 4, preventing these situations from escalating into more serious disasters.

Mr. Ki-Han Park (left) and Mr. Seung-Yeon Hwang (right) attending the subway hero award ceremony. Provided by Seoul Metro.

On December 19, Seoul Metro invited the heroes to its headquarters, where they were presented with monetary awards and certificates of appreciation, conveying gratitude on behalf of Seoul citizens. Since last year, in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, recipients of the subway hero award have also been granted a mayoral commendation.

On May 31 at approximately 8:50 a.m., Ki-Han Park witnessed a passenger committing arson on a Line 5 train traveling between Yeouinaru Station and Mapo Station. He alerted passengers by shouting, "Fire! Please evacuate!" and helped them evacuate quickly. Notably, he actively participated in rescuing lives, including carrying elderly passengers to safety during the evacuation.

On August 27 at about 8:21 p.m., Wooseok Lee responded to a fire caused by a passenger's portable battery on a Line 4 train between Dongjak Station and Ichon Station by using a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. He instructed nearby passengers to report the incident to the crew via the emergency communication device and assisted Ichon Station staff in conducting a secondary extinguishing response, thereby preventing the situation from developing into a larger fire.

On September 24 at around 9:00 p.m., Seung-Yeon Hwang responded without hesitation when a fire broke out in a facility on the platform at Sindang Station on Line 2. He quickly used a fire extinguisher on the platform to take immediate action, preventing property damage and minimizing inconvenience to citizens by averting a service suspension or non-stop train passage.

Including this year's three honorees, Seoul Metro has now presented a total of 45 individuals with certificates of appreciation and awards for their heroic actions.

Na Yunbeom, Head of the Safety Management Division at Seoul Metro, said, "We deeply thank the subway heroes," adding, "We will continue to actively recognize citizens who contribute to subway safety and create opportunities to express our gratitude."

Subway Good Samaritan Lee Wooseok. Provided by Seoul Metro.

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