Mongolian worker who saved a man dangling from a 14th floor in Korea is recognised a year later

A Mongolian worker, Batbayar Zandanbat, saved a South Korean worker who was left dangling at the 14th floor of an apartment building in Dangjin, South Chungcheong province. Yonhap news agency reported the story on October 30, and it has drawn wide attention in both Korea and Mongolia.

The moment the harness snapped

According to Yonhap, the incident happened on November 14, 2025, at an apartment complex in Dangjin. A worker on the building's exterior was left hanging from a 14th-floor balcony railing after his safety harness snapped.

Batbayar, who was moving furniture in a building across the street, heard the cries for help and ran over. As well as alerting the 119 emergency line, he knocked on the door of the flat where the man was hanging. When the resident opened it, he went out onto the balcony, reached over the railing and grabbed the worker.

"Trust me"

Yonhap and iSee.mn reported that the worker was leaning against an air-conditioning unit but was running out of strength to hold his own weight. Batbayar kept reassuring him in Korean, "Trust me, I will pull you up", and finally hauled him onto the balcony. The two met again a week later, and the rescued worker thanked him.

The story came to light almost a year later, after someone contacted the Korean media. Batbayar now works as a team leader at his moving company. A company representative described him as someone who ran over without hesitation and sets an example for his colleagues. "If I hadn't helped quickly, he could have fallen. Whether he was Korean or Mongolian didn't matter to me," Batbayar said.

Reaction on X

Mongolian outlets shared the story on X. Some posts gave the rescuer's name as "B. Zandanbat", but Yonhap and iSee.mn identify him as Batbayar, son of Zandanbat.

Sources: Yonhap News Agency, iSee.mn.