I cover a wide range of stories about Korean society — one of the most dynamic places in the world. To me, journalism means being on the ground, uncovering untold stories and amplifying marginalized voices, especially in an era when AI is reshaping the media landscape. That’s why I’m always here to listen. Tips and stories are welcome — feel free to reach out via email. Before becoming a journalist, I traveled through 24 countries over 702 days, served two years as a military police officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force and later studied filmmaking at the Korea National University of Arts.
‘Hopeful,’ ‘hesitant,’ but still voting: Citizens rush to early polls
Voters line up outside an early polling station in central Seoul's Euljiro area, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Park Ung
By Park Ung
From job worries to political distrust, early voters explain why they still showed up
A polling station in central Seoul’s Euljiro area was already bustling with voters on Thursday morning as the two-day early voting period for the June 3 presidential election kicked off at 3,568 voting sites nationwide.
It took about 30 minutes for voters who weren’t registered in the district to reach the booths, while a separate line was designated for district residents. After presenting their resident registration cards and scanning their fingerprints for identification, voters received a ballot and an envelope to seal it in.
Voters entered booths to mark their choices, then placed their folded ballots in envelopes and sealed them with stickers. Election observers monitored the entire process.
While their preferred candidates differed, voters emphasized the importance of participating in a democracy and expressed hopes that the next president would revive the struggling economy.
“You need to vote if you want a better country. That’s why I came out this morning,” said Jung Jung-yong, a 70-year-old print worker who voted before heading to work. “I hope this election brings an end to conflict and allows people to live in peace.”
Shin Hoon-seop, a 30-year-old office worker, said it was only natural for him to vote because “this is about choosing the leader of the country.”
“The economy is really bad these days,” he said. “Of course, Korea can’t fix it alone, but whoever becomes president needs to seriously think about how to turn things around.”
A voter cast her ballot at an early voting station in southern Seoul's Gangnam District, Thursday. Yonhap
Park Eun-ho, a 41-year-old software developer, said, “With everything feeling so uncertain in the country right now, I felt I should cast my vote early — at least do my part.”
Park said the election was about both reviving the economy and safeguarding democracy, and he believed Lee Jae-myung, the liberal Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, was the one to deliver.
“We’ve already seen two presidents impeached [both conservative Park Geun-hye in 2017 and Yoon Suk Yeol last year]. I really hope we don’t see a third,” he said. “And the economy is in really bad shape, with a lot of young people struggling to find jobs. I hope the next president focuses on creating employment.”
For some voters, the two-day early voting period ending Friday was effectively their only chance to cast a ballot. Among them was Song Ye-eun, 23, a member of the Korean Metal Workers' Union who showed up with three colleagues.
“We are subcontracted shipyard workers from Geoje, Tongyeong and Goseong in South Gyeongsang Province, currently staging a sit-in in Seoul. But on Election Day, we can only vote at our registered addresses [in the province], unlike the early voting period which allows out-of-district voting,” she said. “As it’s so hard to travel that far, we voted today.”
Travelers cast their ballots at Incheon International Airport before heading overseas, Thursday, the first day of early voting for the presidential election. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Throughout the campaign, Song has remained steadfast in her support for Kwon Young-gook, the presidential candidate of the progressive Korean Democratic Labor Party.
“It’s frustrating that he’s the only one actually listening to us shouting in the streets,” she said. “I hope this election marks the beginning of sweeping social reform, including the enactment of a comprehensive antidiscrimination law and stronger labor protections for subcontracted and irregular workers.”
Unlike Song, who was firm in her choice, others wrestled with their decision until the last moment — including a woman in her 60s who asked to be identified only by her surname Kim.
“There really wasn’t anyone I truly wanted to vote for, but I felt the president should at least be honest,” Kim said, adding that she ultimately voted for a conservative candidate, without specifying whether it was the People Power Party’s Kim Moon-soo or Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party.
“I just hope people can come together and work as one. No matter the direction, I hope our leader will unite around what’s best for the people.”
Voters cast their ballots at an early voting station in southern Seoul's Gangnam District, Thursday. Yonhap