In Sejong City, central South Korea, a woman in her 60s accidentally threw away 26 million won (about $18,000) she had saved for her son's surgery. She contacted the city’s Resource Department, and with the help of staff and waste management workers, most of the cash was successfully recovered.
On February 24, the woman realized she had mistakenly placed the cash into an automated garbage collection system and immediately called the Resource Department. City officials quickly requested to stop the garbage transfer, and the woman rushed to the waste processing center. Faced with a massive 24-ton container of compressed waste, she almost gave up hope.
However, after learning the money was for her son’s surgery, the workers decided to help. They transported the container to an open lot and carefully sifted through the trash. After eight hours of searching, they recovered 18.28 million won (about $12,200) in cash.
The incident became public when the woman posted a message of gratitude on the city's website. She wrote, "I was moved to tears as the workers found each bill one by one," and repeatedly expressed her appreciation to those who refused to accept a reward.
Viewer Comments:
It feels like a treasure hunt.
I would have searched for the rest of the money if they had offered me a reward!
I thought the bills would be torn apart, but they actually remained in pretty good condition.
I hope the son’s surgery goes well.
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