[Report] The Heart of Jongno... "How Was It During the Two Prime Ministers?" "Is There Any Risk of the Country Falling?"

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon is shaking hands with Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the Liberty Korea Party, at the New Year's meeting of small and medium-sized business owners held on the 6th at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] "Both of you have served as Prime Minister. I saw it back then. Who stands with the people, and who tries to stand above the people."

"Everyone dreams of living well. Who are the ones completely destroying even the middle class's dreams?"

Jongno takes great pride in being known as the 'political number one district.' It is a microcosm of the 'voter sentiment' that shows where the hearts of voters lie. This is even more true ahead of this general election. This is because there is a high possibility of a 'big match' between Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon and Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, who are ranked first and second in presidential preference polls. The voter sentiment in Jongno is an indicator of the overall trend. On the 8th, we met with voters residing in Jongno. There were few politically neutral positions, and political stance differences reflecting generational preferences were stark.

Seo Yoon-hee (40), a resident of Sajik-dong, introduced herself as "not bound by the ideology of progressive or conservative," and said, "When I saw Prime Minister Lee during the egg scandal, I remember how he strongly reprimanded the wrong attitudes of public officials and honestly explained to the people." She added, "Leader Hwang drove his car into Seoul Station. I think that revealed his way of dealing with the people," and said, "Prime Minister Lee seems to regard public office as a service position." Based on 'attitude,' she expressed support for the Democratic Party.

Prime Minister Lee was praised for representing the public sentiment by pointing out to public officials during the so-called 'pesticide egg' incident in August 2017 that "the failure to properly fulfill the duty to explain is receiving more criticism." On the other hand, Leader Hwang sparked controversy in March 2016 when it was revealed that he drove a government vehicle onto the Seoul Station platform.

Lee Byung-ik (35), a self-employed person met in Sajik-dong, is also a supporter of the Democratic Party. He said, "Isn't conservatism about dignity? Rather than trying to uphold the core values of conservatism, it seems focused on political showmanship as the opposition party. Especially during Leader Hwang's hunger strike." His belief is that "the same rules and the same punishments" should apply to everyone. Lee said, "The Liberty Korea Party has a sense of privilege, and it is problematic to further deepen the gap in a class society." Although he was hurt by the 'Cho Kuk incident' and felt the government born from the 'candlelight protests' did not meet expectations, he has no intention of withdrawing his support for the Democratic Party. "My biggest reason is hoping for the eradication of deep-rooted evils and prosecution reform."

The relatively older age group viewed the Moon Jae-in administration as very biased ideologically. As of the third quarter of last year, the average age in Jongno-gu was 44.6 years, higher than the Seoul city average of 42.5 years.

Shin (70s), a resident of Samcheong-dong, said, "Expanding the size of the Blue House gives me a feeling of totalitarianism or socialism," adding, "China is moving toward capitalism, but how are we going backward? This must be stopped, so the Democratic Party is obviously no good." Regarding Leader Hwang, he said, "He still lacks political sense and quick wit, but he has common sense," and added, "Assemblyman Jeong Se-gyun (prime minister candidate) is very friendly and has gently solidified the region, but Prime Minister Lee is not that kind of style. He was governor of Jeonnam and did things there, but he has no activities in Seoul, so if they compete, Leader Hwang will have the advantage."

Cha (late 40s) said with a wave of his hand, "I'm fed up, really fed up." He criticized the ruling party, saying, "They put poison clauses in the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HOCI) law. Above all, they impose huge punitive real estate taxes, which crushes the dream of wanting to live well." Jeong (60), a resident of Hyehwa-dong, also said, "If we keep giving out welfare like the Moon Jae-in government, and giving to North Korea, I feel like the country will collapse," adding, "Protecting the liberal democracy that was won through bloodshed is the standard for this general election. Leader Hwang seems to have a strong love for the country."

Meanwhile, among people in their 20s, there was even a sense of giving up hope that politics would solve the frustrating reality. Lee (22), a third-year university student met in Hyehwa-dong, said, "They talk a lot about youth jobs, but I don't feel it," and criticized, "I'm anxious. Asking whether it's the Democratic Party or the Liberty Korea Party is not the right question. I don't trust anyone."

Meanwhile, looking at the historical general election results in Jongno-gu, former President Lee Myung-bak (15th), former President Roh Moo-hyun (15th by-election), former Hannara Party Assemblyman Jeong In-bong (16th), former Hannara Party Assemblyman Park Jin (16th by-election, 17th and 18th), and Democratic Party Assemblyman Jeong Se-gyun (19th and 20th) were elected.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.