Cheers erupt in Lee’s rural hometown as residents celebrate his presidential win
Residents of Dochon-ri in Yean-myeon, Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, the hometown of President-elect Lee Jae-myung, cheer and applaud as exit poll results are announced Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Kwon Jeong-sik
As exit poll results pointed to Lee Jae-myung’s victory in Korea's presidential election on Tuesday night, residents of his hometown, Dochon-ri in Yean-myeon, Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, erupted in cheers — some with tears in their eyes.
Dozens gathered at the village’s senior center to watch the vote count, breaking into applause and chanting “Manse!” (a traditional Korean cheer meaning “long live” or “hurrah”) when broadcasters projected Lee’s win.
“Our Jae-myung from this village did it,” one elderly resident said, holding back tears. Another held a banner reading, “The dragon born in Dochon-ri, Lee Jae-myung,” as the group raised paper cups filled with makgeolli to toast their hometown son’s triumph.
Roughly 70 villagers, nearly everyone except those with mobility issues, attended the gathering. Elderly residents watched from inside the senior center, while younger attendees set up seats and a TV in an adjacent farming equipment shed.
Days earlier, they had cleared out tractors, cleaned the space, and prepared coffee, snacks and traditional liquor for the event.
“This is one of the most remote corners of the inland region of northern North Gyeongsang — long considered the most underdeveloped area in the country. The fact that a president has come from here is just unbelievable,” said village head Lee Jae-ho, 71.
Residents of Dochon-ri in Yean-myeon, Andong, North Gyeongsang Province raise paper cups filled with makgeolli in a celebratory toast as exit poll results are announced Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Kwon Jeong-sik
A childhood friend of Lee’s eldest brother, he added that residents would likely hold a village celebration once Lee’s win is officially confirmed.
Some expressed hope that the new president might help improve rural infrastructure. “We’d be happy just to have better transportation access,” one resident said. Another added, “We had a hailstorm recently that destroyed our apple and pepper crops — but now that someone from our village is president, maybe some good news will follow.”
Dochon-ri lies deep in a mountain valley, bordered by Bonghwa and Yeongyang counties. Once home to slash-and-burn farmers, the village stretches along a narrow 150-meter-wide ravine, where people once grew corn and tobacco.
Lee was born in the most remote part of the village, located 2.7 kilometers past the Dochon Reservoir, and moved houses within the area several times during childhood.
In 2022, supporters of Lee installed a plaque in the area designating it as the birthplace of “Presidential Candidate Lee Jae-myung,” covering the former house site — now used as farmland — with gravel to prevent dust.
A resident examines a sign marking the birthplace of Lee Jae-myung in Dochon-ri, Yean-myeon, Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday, the day of the presidential election. Yonhap
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.