Bus driver helps wheelchair user stranded in crosswalk

This screengrab from a video provided by the Seoul Bus Labor Union shows bus driver Lee Jung-ho pushing the wheelchair of a man stranded in the middle of a crosswalk in Seoul on Sept.13. (Seoul Bus Labor Union)

South Korean internet circles have been buzzing over a heartwarming tale of a bus driver who rushed to help a man in a wheelchair stranded in the middle of a crosswalk on a rainy night.

Several citizens during the Chuseok holidays posted online compliments about the driver of Seoul bus No. 470 for his actions in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, at around 9:40 p.m. on Sept.13. A man on a self-propelled wheelchair was wheeling himself across the crosswalk when the light changed and he was barely halfway across the street.

The bus driver, who was waiting for the signal, stepped out of the vehicle and pushed the pedestrian to the other side of the crosswalk. Locals have given him the nickname "lightning man," out of respect for his quick actions and quicker thinking. He was later revealed to be 10-year veteran driver Lee Jung-ho.

Local children’s literary critic Kim Ji-eun shared her recording of the incident on X and thanked the then-unknown driver. Her post was shared over 6,500 times.

Lee told local media that he just thought "people should have priority (over cars)," and said he would do the same the next time such a situation occurs.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)