A man who became a viral sensation last week for cleaning up vomit in a Seoul subway car has been recognized by the city with a medal of appreciation. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon personally thanked the good Samaritan in a meeting, according to a post on the mayor's Instagram account Sunday.

The incident first gained public attention when a passenger posted a video of the act on social media. The video showed a man, known to be in his 20s, cleaning up vomit from a seat on Seoul's Subway Line 6 late in the evening on July 7. After cleaning up the mess, the person reportedly alerted other passengers to stay away from the seat before getting off at Hapjeong Station.

The footage quickly went viral, prompting widespread praise. In response, the Seoul Metro Corporation, a city-owned entity, went on a search for the man on social media. After locating the good Samaritan, the organization awarded him a medal of appreciation on Thursday.

The following day, Mayor Oh Se-hoon invited the man to Seoul City Hall to personally express his gratitude. "Today I met a beautiful young man," Mayor Oh wrote on his Instagram post. "I was deeply moved by him saying that he simply did what he was supposed to do."

In the face of sudden fame, the man chose to remain anonymous, refusing to disclose his full name or participate in any in-depth interviews. Asking to be identified only by his surname Kim, the man said his actions were guided by nothing more than his own conscience and responsibility.

"I just happened to have tissues and cleaning wipes in my backpack when I came across the mess," Kim explained. "Nothing special."