Gwangju FC Honored After Dramatic Roadside Rescue

By Zhang Jiuzhou (Julius) ||

Gwangju FC may be enduring a difficult season on the pitch, but four members of the club have earned widespread praise for actions that went far beyond football. In the early hours of August 9, the Gwangju squad was returning home by team bus following a K League 1 away match against Bucheon FC 1995 when it came across a serious traffic accident on Gwangju’s ring road.

A passenger car had collided with a truck near the Singa underpass. The truck overturned, while flames began rising from the front of the car. With an unconscious driver still inside and the fire threatening to spread, members of the Gwangju delegation responded immediately.

Vice-captain Shin Chang-moo was the first to approach the vehicle and check on the driver. Icelandic striker Hólmbert Fridjonsson and trainer Lee In-sung quickly followed, helping pull the trapped motorist from the burning car. Club staff member Kim Jong-moon took a fire extinguisher from the team bus and began containing the blaze before firefighters arrived. Other members of the traveling party also assisted at the scene, and the rescued driver was eventually handed over to emergency personnel.

For Shin, there was little time to consider the danger. “When I saw the car on fire, all I could think of was that we had to stop,” he said. “Someone had to do it. I just happened to be there. Shin admitted that approaching the burning vehicle was frightening, particularly with the injured driver bleeding and unconscious. Yet his greater concern was getting the motorist out before the flames spread, while avoiding causing further injury during the rescue.

Fridjonsson said Shin’s decision to move first prompted his own response. “Shin Chang-moo acted first, and that made me act immediately as well,” he said. “I thought the fire could spread or the car might explode, but fortunately that did not happen.”

“Approaching the burning vehicle was frightening, particularly with the injured driver bleeding and unconscious.”

The rescue initially took place with little public attention. It became widely known after footage was submitted to Korean traffic safety YouTube channel Han Moon Chul TV, showing the Gwangju team bus stopping and several members of the squad rushing toward the crash.

Recognition soon followed.

The Korea Professional Football League decided at its fifth disciplinary committee meeting to present commendations for good deeds to Shin, Fridjonsson, Lee, and Kim. The league praised the four for refusing to ignore a person in danger, responding quickly and helping prevent the accident from causing greater harm. “Their strong sense of civic responsibility set an example for others and enhanced the reputation of the K League,” the league said.

Shin and Fridjonsson were also honored by the Gwangsan Fire Station at a ceremony at Gwangju Football Stadium.

For Gwangju FC, the incident carried particular meaning as a community-owned club. A club official said the willingness of its players and staff to act without hesitation in a dangerous situation represented the kind of responsibility the organization hopes to demonstrate toward the city it represents.

The episode also provided a rare uplifting moment during a challenging season for Gwangju. Results have been difficult to come by, leaving the club fighting near the bottom of K League 1. Shin hopes the positive energy generated away from the pitch can now be followed by better news on it. “Many people have told us that we did something good,” he said. “Now I hope something good happens for the team as well. I will work harder, and I hope we can give our fans good news through our results.”

Football clubs are usually measured by victories, goals, and trophies. Yet the response of Gwangju’s players and staff offered a reminder that a team’s place in its community can also be defined by what its members do when there is no crowd watching and no result at stake.

On a dark road in Gwangju, four members of the club were faced with such a moment. They chose to stop and help.

Cover Photo: Shin Chang-moo and Hólmbert Fridjonsson receive commendations from the Gwangju Fire Department for their heroic rescue. (Gwangju FC)