It was recently revealed that the Gwangju FC squad, while returning to Gwangju, rescued a driver trapped in a burning vehicle on a highway in the early morning hours. In the early hours of the 9th, when a traffic accident occurred near Singa IC on the Gwangju Second Circular Road, Gwangju FC players and staff risked their lives to rescue the driver and even extinguished the fire. The incident became widely known after a tipster's video was posted on the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-chul TV.'

Circumstances at the Time of the Accident That day, the Gwangju FC squad was returning to Gwangju on two buses after completing their K League 1 Round 22 away match against Bucheon FC 1995. At around 2:30 a.m., as they were nearing Gwangju, a truck and a passenger car collided in front of the team's bus. The truck overturned, and a fire broke out in the passenger car. The flames, which started in the engine room, spread rapidly and engulfed the front of the vehicle, creating an urgent situation where an explosion could occur at any moment.

Rescue Process The Gwangju team bus immediately stopped in the first lane. Player Shin Chang-moo was the first to exit the bus and rush toward the accident vehicle. After checking the driver's consciousness, he immediately attempted a rescue, and foreign player Fridjonsson joined in to pull the driver out of the vehicle together. At the same time, a club staff member brought a fire extinguisher from the bus to initially suppress the flames, and other staff and the bus driver on the scene also lent their strength to prevent further damage.

Tipster's Testimony The good deed was brought to public attention when a tipster at the scene uploaded the video to the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-chul TV.' The tipster recounted the tense situation, saying, "I was deeply moved to see Gwangju FC officials prioritize rescuing the driver trapped in the vehicle over their own safety and even put out the fire." The tipster added that they were unable to help directly because they were responding to an elevator emergency, but hoped the Gwangju squad's actions would be widely known.

Club's Reaction The Gwangju club also learned of the incident belatedly. The players did not report it to the club separately, so the incident, which could have easily gone unnoticed, was brought to light thanks to the tipster's video. A club official said, "It must not have been easy to enter a burning vehicle to rescue the driver, and even we were surprised when we saw the video." None of the players or staff were injured, and there were no additional casualties.

Shin Chang-moo: "We Just Did What We Had to Do" In a phone call with 'Goal.com,' Shin Chang-moo shared his feelings at the time, saying, "My wife is expecting a baby, but my body reacted instinctively and I ran right over. I thought the driver might still be in the car, so I decided I had to get them out first." He added, "I reported to 119 and rescued the driver. Fridjonsson also helped." When asked about how difficult it must have been to jump into a vehicle engulfed in flames, he replied, "I just did what I had to do," and expressed his hope for the driver's safety. He also reaffirmed his determination, saying, "I've been increasing my playing time after returning from injury. Now, all that's left is to save the team."

League Considering Commendation The Korea Professional Football League is reviewing whether to commend the players involved for their good deed. According to the league's reward and punishment regulations, employees, member organizations, or individuals under its jurisdiction who set an exemplary example may be commended through the Reward and Punishment Committee. The league stated, "While the video appears to show Shin Chang-moo and Fridjonsson performing good deeds, we have requested a factual confirmation report from the Gwangju club to verify the exact facts."

Meanwhile, Gwangju FC remains at the bottom of the table this season with 1 win, 8 draws, and 13 losses, and is facing difficulties including a player registration ban. The players' courageous actions off the pitch have deeply moved fans.

Photos = YouTube Han Moon-chul TV, Korea Professional Football League.