[Report] "Lee Jae-myung! Yoon Seok-yeol! Citizens of 'Jeongchi 1beonji' Jongno cheer each other at exit polls"

Exit Polls from 3 Major Terrestrial Broadcasters: Lee 47.8%, Yoon 48.4% 'Neck and Neck'
Applause Erupts in Democratic Party... People Power Party Says "Somewhat Unexpected... Will Wait"
Citizens Mention Their Chosen Candidates Saying "Victory Is Certain"

On the afternoon of the 9th, when the exit poll results of the 20th presidential election were released, citizens met in Jongno, known as the "political hotspot," and expressed confidence that the candidate they voted for, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party or Yoon Seok-youl of the People Power Party, would become president. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kang Woo-seok] "Of course, it's Lee Jae-myung!" , "Isn't it Yoon Seok-yeol!" , "The exit polls say so?"

In the exit polls of the 20th presidential election held on the 9th, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, were shown to be in a neck-and-neck race. Citizens met around Jongno-gu, Seoul, known as the 'political hotspot,' each raising their voices that the candidate they voted for would win.

In nearby alleys, groups of men in their 40s and 50s gathered in threes and fives, continuing discussions about the likely winner based on the exit polls. Some emphasized their support for a specific candidate, expressing confidence that their candidate would definitely win. Most of the pubs around Jongno displayed the exit poll results from broadcasting stations on their screens, and customers continued conversations about the new president to be elected.

On that day, the exit polls from the three terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS showed Candidate Lee at 47.8% and Candidate Yoon at 48.4%, a gap of 0.6 percentage points. Candidate Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party recorded 2.5%. Meanwhile, JTBC's exit poll showed Candidate Lee at 48.4% and Candidate Yoon at 47.7%, a difference of 0.7 percentage points.

Citizens met around Jongno expressed surprise at the razor-thin exit poll results but also shared their hopes for the new president, such as reviving the economy hit hard by COVID-19 and creating a society free from corruption.

Seo (48), who runs a traditional Korean tavern, said, "I expected a landslide victory for the opposition due to their unification, but the close race surprised me," adding, "I didn't expect this. In my view, the opposition's unification came too late, causing a backlash. The timing of the unification was too late."

Regarding his hopes for the new president as a self-employed person, he raised his voice, saying, "I just hope there is no corruption. All previous presidents ended on a bad note; I hope they just do the basics. Given the serious COVID-19 situation, I hope they manage it well."

On the afternoon of the 9th, a pojangmacha in the Jongno area of Seoul. On this day, almost all bars in Jongno fixed their channels on the broadcast of the '20th Presidential Election Exit Poll,' and customers continued various conversations about the exit poll. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

Meanwhile, Lee (26), an office worker met on the streets of Jongno, said, "I'm curious about how the new president will lead the country," adding, "There was a lot of talk during the polls, but I'm curious about the actual results." When asked if he thought the candidate he voted for would win, he said, "I think so," emphasizing, "I hope they give a lot of power to people in their 20s and youth."

Another office worker, Lee (28), said, "I thought one candidate would have a clear lead, but the exit polls are showing a close race," adding, "I support the conservative camp, but the exit poll results differ by broadcaster. I don't know how it will turn out."

Regarding his hopes for the new government, he said, "I hope they solve the real estate problem well so that people entering society for the first time can have hope to buy a house."

Lee, a company employee in his 60s who said he came from Dongtan, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, emphasized, "I hope the president will be someone with a firm security stance."

On the 9th, the day of the 20th presidential election, at the Democratic Party's vote counting situation room set up in the National Assembly Members' Office Building, party leaders including Representative Song Young-gil and General Election Committee Chairman Lee Nak-yeon cheered as the exit poll results showed a narrow lead./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Meanwhile, as the exit poll results of the election vote broadcast showed a 'neck-and-neck' race, the ruling and opposition parties showed mixed reactions. The Democratic Party of Korea clapped and cheered while watching the exit poll broadcast screen, whereas the People Power Party appeared relatively calm.

On the 9th, Lee Nak-yeon, the general election campaign committee chairman of the Democratic Party, said in an interview with KBS after the exit polls showed a neck-and-neck race between Candidate Lee and Candidate Yoon, "The race is closer than we worried about, so we must stay alert until dawn and watch the vote count," but also said, "We have high expectations. I feel that many citizens have been deeply concerned about the country's future."

The leadership of the People Power Party is cheering on the 9th in the vote counting situation room set up at the National Assembly Library as the exit poll results from the three major broadcasters show candidate Yoon Seok-yeol's narrow victory. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

On the other hand, the People Power Party could not hide their embarrassment. After the exit poll results were announced, Kwon Young-se, head of the election campaign headquarters, said in an interview with KBS's vote counting broadcast, "I'm relieved that it shows a slight win," but added, "The margin is somewhat smaller than we expected, which is a bit surprising." He continued, "We don't know where the difference in exit polls came from," and said, "In the end, we have no choice but to wait humbly until the results are officially confirmed through the vote count."

Experts emphasized that this presidential election is truly a razor-thin race, making it difficult to predict any candidate's easy victory. Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "Such a close race in a presidential election is really unprecedented," adding, "Even experts forecasting the election, including polling agencies, cannot easily predict the outcome." He added, "We really have to watch the vote counting process until the end to see who will be the winner."

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