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‘Legendary’ driver delivers food in waist-deep water during flood

Published: 05 Aug. 2025, 21:01

A photo shared on the salad store owner's Instagram account [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A delivery driver in Gwangju waded through waist-deep floodwaters to complete a food order, a moment captured on video that has since gone viral online.

The owner of a salad shop in Buk District, Gwangju, posted a video on Instagram on Tuesday captioned, “At 5 p.m. on July 17, the water was waist-deep, but a legendary rider still came to pick up the order. I’m trying to find him.

"The location seen in the footage was flooded twice, and the video shows the second instance of flooding. After water from the first surge receded, the rider decided to resume deliveries, believing the situation had stabilized."

Gwangju received 426.4 millimeters (16 inches) of rainfall on July 17 — the city’s highest daily total since record-keeping began in 1939.

“I left my post for a moment to dry off, and a much larger amount of rainwater rushed in than the first time,” the owner recalled. “At the same time, I tried to hold back the water, cancel existing delivery orders and assist customers dining in the hall.”

Before the second flood hit, a delivery driver had already arrived with an order placed earlier.

“I thought it was impossible, but he actually came across to the shop,” the owner said. “I can’t stop thinking about the delivery rider who risked his safety to bring the order."

The owner said that they hoped to meet the rider in person.

“I’m so grateful that I really want to find him,” the owner said. “If the driver in this video happens to be you, we would love to welcome you as a VIP at our salad shop.”

Vehicles move slowly through heavy rain on a road in Gwangju, where a heavy rain warning is in effect on Aug. 3. [NEWS1]

In the video shared by the owner, the delivery driver hands over the food in waist-deep water, then walks back toward his motorcycle. He holds the food in one hand and a phone in the other, at one point stumbling as the current tugs at his legs.

After the footage went viral, the rider left a comment on the owner’s post.

“I accepted the call without realizing the road was flooded,” the driver wrote. “After the downpour, the road was submerged, but the water receded, and cleanup began. I saw that, myself, and thought things had returned to normal when I accepted the order.

“I didn’t go in recklessly knowing there was a flood. When I arrived, the road suddenly flooded again and access had already been blocked. But after coming all that way, I couldn’t just give up the delivery.”

The driver added that he simply did what he was supposed to.

“I did my job, and I’m still alive. I could’ve gone all the way across to pick up the food, but I appreciate that the shop owner came out to meet me,” he said. “Some people say I crossed the river for a big payout, but the delivery fee for that salad was only 7,000 won [$5].”

The driver also criticized the structure of food delivery platforms.

“This wasn’t about personal recklessness. Orders still get assigned in dangerous situations, and there are penalties for cancellations,” he said. “Delivery drivers know better than anyone that this kind of job isn’t worth risking your life for.

“Even so, we do our best to deliver food on time between the platform and the customer. I hope people see the reality that drivers face while working in this system.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]