Soup Restaurant Owner Treats Persons of Distinguished Services to the State to Free Rice Soup: "There Is Romance in Sharing Meals" [Ttatteuthaessyu]

[The Financial News] The story of a rice soup restaurant owner who serves warm rice soup every week to Persons of Distinguished Services to the State has become known and is moving many people.
On the 30th, The Dong-A Ilbo introduced the story of 32-year-old Park Min-gyu, who runs a rice soup restaurant in Sanggye-dong, Nowon District, Seoul.
Since last month, Park has been serving hot rice soup to Persons of Distinguished Services to the State.
Last month, Park visited the local community center and proposed that he wanted to do volunteer work for Persons of Distinguished Services to the State. He then created and distributed meal coupons for them.
Park said, "There are 14 Persons of Distinguished Services to the State in the neighborhood, and nine of them have applied and come to the restaurant."
It is known that a Korean War veteran, a Vietnam War veteran, and even an elderly person who collects waste paper visit Park’s restaurant.
One day, Park asked a visiting Person of Distinguished Services to the State how he had come to receive that designation.
In response, the elderly man took a Certificate of Meritorious Service for Vietnam War Veterans out of his pocket and showed it to Park. Park reportedly gave him a thumbs-up and said, "That is really amazing."
The following weekend, the elderly man came back to Park’s restaurant in full uniform and said, "I felt so good about your reaction when I showed you my certificate last time."
Park responded with enthusiastic applause, and the elderly man smiled shyly.
Park said, "He wanted to show it off, so he took his uniform out for the first time in years."
After Park’s good deeds spread through social networking service (SNS), people began offering to help him. Some customers place orders for 10 servings at his restaurant but do not take the food, others ask him to open a donation account, and some visit in person to eat there just to boost his sales.
Park, who often writes "This is real romance" on his own SNS, was asked what romance means to him. He answered, "Since I was young, my dream was to run a business. I always wanted to treat people to meals where we share and everyone feels good. I think that is what romance is."
He added, "I also started volunteering after seeing someone else’s good deeds," and continued, "I believe someone will see me and do the same."
Meanwhile, Park, who is providing meal service in Nowon District where his restaurant is located, is reportedly planning to expand his meal volunteer work to Dobong-gu starting in April.

newssu@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Su-yeon Reporter