Company chairman earns praise for allowing father of Sewol Ferry victim to take paid time off

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Back in April, when the tragic Sewol Ferry incident occurred and took the lives of hundreds of people, many of whom were students, a Dong Yang Piston employee Hwang In Yeol became frantic over learning that his 2nd year high school student daughter, Hwang Ji Hyun, was aboard the ferry. Hwang submitted his resignation letter to Dong Yang Piston with the intention of focusing his full effort on looking for his daughter. He was surprised, however, when Chairman Hong Soon Kyum refused his resignation letter.

Instead, Hong felt sorry for Hwang, saying, "How can I understand the feelings of a father who lost his daughter?" He continued, "Don't worry about the company and let's talk after you've found your daughter," allowing Hwang the liberty to take time off and to return to work whenever he was able. According to the story, Hong has continued to pay Hwang his monthly salary during his time off ever since.

The story is receiving an overwhelming amount of attention with approximately 49,000 likes on Facebook. Netizens are in awe over Hong's kindness as they state in the comments, "If there were only these kinds of chairmen then the workplace would be more comfortable and warm!", and, "Dong Yang Piston, which produces the bicycle engine part called the piston, is considered to be a good business. For two years, Dong Yang Piston gives all working employees a half-year package up to 1.8 million won (approx. $1,612 USD) as financial aid for their children's educational expenses."