Voters brave chills to cast ballots

By Kim Rahn, Kim Tae-jong

From early in the morning on Wednesday, Seoul residents went to the polls despite frosty weather to wait in queues and cast their ballots in the by-election to select their mayor.

Many office workers dropped by polling stations before going to work, while those from other age groups also voted throughout the day.

At 6:50 a.m., many young voters were seen at a polling station set up at Yeomni Elementary School in northern Seoul. Some married couples and parents and their grown-up children came together in a car, probably to counter the cold weather.

“I woke up earlier than usual to come before going to work, as I don’t think I will have the time to vote in the evening due to the load of work I have to do. I hope the candidate I select wins,” a 29-year-old office worker, surnamed Choi, said.

An election officer at a nearby polling station in Sinsu-dong said it was obvious that more people have showed up compared to the residents’ referendum on free school meals two months ago.

Another officer at a station set up at Jinsun Girls’ High School in Gangnam District also expected the voter turnout to be high.

“We initially thought mostly salaried workers would come in the morning as they have to go to work. It turns out a significant number of senior citizens and housewives also exercised their rights from early in the morning. We are having a good start.”

The tension in this by-election is somewhat different from that of the referendum. Polling stations in Changsin-dong in central Seoul, which had the lowest turnout for the referendum, had long lines of voters.

On the contrary, at a station in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul where the turnout had been the highest in the referendum, voters only appeared occasionally.

Change vs. stability

Young voters in their 20s and 30s seemed to lean toward unified liberal candidate Park Won-soon, expressing their hope that he would bring a new perspective in city affairs, while older generations supported Na Kyung-won from the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), putting more weight on stability.

At a polling station in Sinsu-dong, Mapo District, voters were mostly in their 30s and 40s at the start of day.

Park Yong-joon, 43, said he voted for a “corruption-free” candidate who can be devoted to the work for Seoul citizens. “I hope the next mayor will not waste citizens’ tax money on useless projects.”

A 36-year-old office worker at a polling station at Jinsun Girls’ High School said she voted for Park because she dislikes the GNP. “I don’t particularly like Park but I voted for him anyway because I disapprove of the ruling party and its members, including Na. I believe the GNP is only interested in benefiting the rich, while disregarding the poor.”

However, voters in support of Na said they preferred stability over drastic upheavals.

“I don’t think we need any considerable changes. We need stability. Even though the GNP has some problems, we need gradual reforms,” said Ko Jang-se, a 48-year-old small business runner, emerging from a polling station in Itaewon, Yongsan District.

A 66-year-old woman, a resident in Mapo District, said she doesn’t want to see any more agitation for social reform by opposition parties and candidates. “I think we have had enough of inflammatory pronouncements. What we need is to make the city stable,” she said.

Whoever they picked, voters generally showed satisfaction with their ability to exercise their rights, expressing hope that their choice will be a good one and the elected will do well.

A 23-year-old college student said, “Whoever wins, I don’t think anything will change. But I hope many people will participate so that we can show the politicians that we are not stupid and we are watching them.”

A 35-year-old housewife with two children aged five and seven said she cast her ballot so that she won’t regret whether or not her candidate will be elected. “This is the city where my children will grow up. As a citizen, I think I have to participate in the vote,” said the woman, who came to the polling station after dropping her children off at kindergarten.