Real Estate Stability and Youth Job Creation... Most Desired 'Market to Revive the Economy'

[Planning] D-2, 4·7 By-election In-depth Analysis ⑩ Citizen Interviews <End>

On the first day of early voting for the April 7 by-elections, citizens are casting their votes at the early voting station set up at Namgajwa 1-dong Community Center in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 2nd. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunju Lee, Boryeong Geum, Junyi Park] Candidates in presidential elections often refer to themselves as the ‘economic president.’ However, this time the focus is on the ‘economic mayor.’ About a week before the Seoul mayoral by-election, Seoul citizens interviewed by this paper unanimously expressed their desire for a ‘mayor who can revive the economy.’ Specifically, this was summarized as ‘stabilizing the real estate market’ and ‘creating jobs.’

Job seeker Kim Young-cheol (Gangnam-gu, 28) said, "It would be good if Seoul City provided incentives to open more corporate recruitment gates." He conveyed the atmosphere in the job market, saying, "It seems difficult to find employment because efforts are focused mainly on the public sector." University student Choi San-ha (Songpa-gu, 26) also said, "Due to the COVID-19 situation, opportunities and access to employment have narrowed," adding, "I think the mayor should be someone who understands this trend well." Mr. Lee (Nowon-gu, 86) said, "The economy needs to recover for young people to live. If there are more jobs in Seoul, everyone will be able to breathe a little easier."

Citizens identified the biggest challenge for the new Seoul mayor as devising real estate measures such as stabilizing housing prices and expanding supply. The interview content mostly appealed to how difficult life has become due to the failure of real estate policies. Lee Da-yeon (Jung-gu, 33), who is getting married in May, lamented, "Housing prices are too high and loan regulations are strict. With the implementation of the three lease laws, the number of jeonse (long-term lease) listings has decreased, and jeonse prices have risen by more than 100 million won." After much consideration, she decided to leave Seoul and start her newlywed life in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Lee Seung-gu (Nowon-gu, 78) said, "My own house has risen a lot in price, but this is not a good thing. Since all housing prices have risen, only inflation has come, and as a result, I ended up paying more taxes," expressing concern that "young people these days will not be able to find a house in Seoul unless their parents buy one for them."

We also heard the voices of self-employed people, a representative group whose income is greatly affected by Seoul City policies. Shin (Seongbuk-gu, 60), who runs a bakery, said, "I am trying to find ways to survive through delivery and other methods, but when there are 10 customers in the store versus 5 customers and 5 deliveries, it looks the same, but the actual money in my hands is different." This means that with the change in business methods, the ones who ultimately benefited were not the self-employed but unrelated companies.

Asked 25 people aged 18 and over
Hope for ‘realistic pledges’ in a 1-year term
20s also demand gender sensitivity
First-time voters emphasize ‘communication’

Since the election was held due to the previous mayor’s sexual misconduct scandal, some opinions emphasized awareness of gender equality and gender sensitivity. Mr. Lee (Dongjak-gu, 22) said, "I will closely watch whether they will strongly promote gender equality policies and punish female-related crimes," adding, "I will vote for a candidate who can make Seoul a place where women can live safely alone." High school student Yeom Kyung-joo (Dongdaemun-gu, 19) also said, "I expect that if someone interested in women’s rights becomes the mayor of Seoul, many related attempts can be made." Jung Yoon-soo (Nowon-gu, 20) said, "I think a mayor who strives to eradicate sex crimes in Seoul is needed. I want a mayor who values women’s rights and has gender sensitivity."

First-time voters considered ‘communication’ important. Choi Eun-ji (Gwangjin-gu, 20) said, "I hope the mayor works for Seoul and reflects the opinions of young people well." High school student Park (Songpa-gu, 19) explained in detail, "There is a saying that sovereignty comes from the people, so the mayor made by Seoul citizens should do things that help the citizens," adding, "For that, communication is the foundation. They must be able to convince and understand the citizens well."

Citizens are casting their votes at the early voting station set up in the Seoul Station waiting room on the 2nd, the early voting day for the Seoul mayoral by-election. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The phrase ‘mayor who keeps promises’ was also mentioned several times. Kim Seo-young (Gangdong-gu, 26) said, "I think I will focus on whether the candidate has not engaged in socially condemned immoral acts and whether the pledges are feasible when selecting a candidate." Hong Anna (Gwangjin-gu, 36) also said, "Having children has made me more interested in the content of pledges than before," emphasizing, "I hope they make feasible pledges rather than ones that look good to others and keep their promises."

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