[Report] "Democrats Did Well" vs "United Party Revives" 'Political Hub' Jongno, Diverging Public Sentiment

Democratic Party Secures 180 Seats Alone Including Proportional Representation, Becoming 'Super Ruling Party'
"Lee Nak-yeon Did Well," "Hwang Kyo-ahn Regrettable," Mixed Reactions
Self-Employed Plead, "Please Revive the Economy"

On the afternoon of the 16th, Nakwon Arcade in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Citizens met in this area showed mixed reactions to the results of the 21st general election. Citizens who revealed that they voted for the Democratic Party of Korea called for future political management and revitalization of the local economy. Supporters of the United Future Party emphasized that the party can come back to life again. Photo by Yeonju Kim, intern reporter yeonju1853@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han, interns Juhyung Lim, Yeonju Kim, Junyoung Min] "The Democratic Party did well.", "The United Future Party is coming back."

On the 15th, in the 21st general election, the ruling party overwhelmingly won, securing 180 seats, which is three-fifths of the total 300 seats in the National Assembly, becoming a 'super ruling party.' Citizens met around Jongno, Seoul, known as the 'political hotspot,' said that the Democratic Party's victory was inevitable. On the other hand, some responded that the United Future Party also did well and could regain political leadership.

Citizens who said they voted for the Democratic Party explained that they supported based on the candidate and pledges. A self-employed person A (38) met near Nakwon Arcade in Jongno said, "I voted for the Democratic Party candidate Lee Nak-yeon. I thought the candidate's pledges would benefit our local economy," adding, "I don't particularly support any party, but I thought (candidate Lee's) character was better than the opponent's."

Jongno resident B (73) said, "I think the Democratic Party's landslide victory is a good result," raising his voice, "The United Future Party only opposed the disaster basic income proposed by the Democratic Party, which was frustrating." He said, "I voted for the Democratic Party because (the United Future Party) seemed to oppose just for the sake of opposition and check just for the sake of checks."

Concerns were also raised that the voices of minorities might not be heard well due to the birth of a 'dinosaur ruling party.' College student C (22), who said this was their first vote, explained, "I voted for the Democratic Party candidate in the constituency and raised my hand for the Justice Party in proportional representation," adding, "It was not a completely satisfactory result." He continued, "Regardless of the party, I think power should not be excessively concentrated on one side in the National Assembly," and said, "I feel a bit uneasy that the Democratic Party might become too huge and ignore minority issues."

Merchant D (65), who said he has been self-employed near Nakwon Arcade for 15 years, pointed out, "Candidate Hwang Kyo-ahn's economic measures feel superficial." He said, "The economy has shrunk due to COVID-19, but watching the debate, candidate Hwang just read the script mechanically." He added, "Comparing the prime minister experience of both candidates, candidate Lee was the one who best understood public sentiment, so I cast my vote for him."

On the afternoon of the 16th, around Jongno-gu, Seoul. The self-employed people met that day unanimously urged for economic revitalization. Photo by Yeonju Kim, intern reporter yeonju1853@asiae.co.kr

According to the National Election Commission, the winning candidate Lee Nak-yeon's vote share was 58.3%, with 54,902 votes counted. This is the highest vote share and number since Jongno-gu was designated as an individual electoral unit in the 13th general election.

Especially in Pyeongchang-dong, known for its strong conservative color within Jongno-gu, candidate Lee received 4,891 votes, showing little difference from Representative Hwang's 5,316 votes. Also, in Sajik-dong, the difference was only 62 votes. Ultimately, in this general election, candidate Lee, running in Jongno-gu, won with a 58.3% vote share, defeating United Future Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn (39.9%).

With the Democratic Party's landslide victory, including candidate Lee who won big in the Jongno area, there were also responses that the United Future Party still has opportunities.

Mr. E, in his 70s, said, "In the end, election results are about who made fewer mistakes," analyzing the defeat by saying, "The United Future Party made many mistakes in this election." He added, "If the Democratic Party makes mistakes, the United Future Party can win overwhelmingly. There is still a chance," raising his voice. He also said, "It's a pity about Hwang Kyo-ahn."

Mr. F, a worker in his 50s, expressed frustration, saying, "Did the United Future Party really do something to deserve being pushed this far? What did they do wrong?" He emphasized, "Whether it's the Democratic Party or the United Future Party, if power is too concentrated on one side, diverse voices cannot be heard. In this regard, the Democratic Party's landslide victory is regrettable."

On the afternoon of the 16th, around Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Citizens met that day unanimously expressed that the Korean economy is truly struggling and urged both the Democratic Party and the United Future Party to revive the economy. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

A man in his 50s who recently retired said, "I am not satisfied with the election results. The company situation was difficult, and with COVID-19 overlapping, I ended up retiring." He continued, "The country talks about the middle class, but if you look closely, either people are well-off or not. How can a government that doesn't understand the basic structure of ordinary people's lives implement any economic policy? Since this government took power, none of the economic policies have succeeded," raising his voice.

Voices of self-employed people asking to revive the local economy continued, regardless of whether the Democratic Party or the United Future Party leads the political situation. A 30-something owner of a gukbap (soup with rice) restaurant said, "I feel the economic crisis. There are no people at all. We used to operate 24 hours, but now we close at night. It's very hard." He added, "All 24-hour restaurants in the Jongno area are in the same situation. But if we don't give up, I believe the government will help. We have to endure trusting the government."

A 50-something sashimi restaurant owner said, "The economy is very difficult. Life has become tougher immediately," adding, "I hope they keep the pledges they made in the National Assembly. That's the only thing I want to say."

Meanwhile, according to the National Election Commission's vote count, in the 253 constituency seats, the Democratic Party won 163 seats, the United Future Party won 84 seats. Independents won 5 seats, and the Justice Party won 1 seat. Especially in the metropolitan area, the ruling party took 103 out of 121 seats.

In proportional representation party votes, the United Future Party's proportional party, the Future Korea Party, won 19 seats, and the Democratic Party's proportional party, the Citizen Party, won 17 seats. The Justice Party (5 seats), the People’s Party (3 seats), and the Open Democratic Party (3 seats) combined only won 11 seats.

Adding the Democratic Party, the Justice Party, the Open Democratic Party, and pro-Democratic independents, the pro-government seats approach 190. It is the first time since democratization in 1987 that a single party has become a giant party exceeding three-fifths of the total seats through a general election.

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