[On-site Video] "Youth, Real Estate, Security"... Citizens Who Voted Share Their Hopes for the Elected Officials

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, PD Yoon Jin-geun] "I hope they give a lot of strength to the youth!"

On the afternoon of the 9th, the vote counting for the 20th presidential election began in earnest. Earlier that day, as soon as the voting closed, exit polls from the three terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS showed that Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate, were engaged in a neck-and-neck race.

Citizens met around Jongno, Seoul, known as the "political hotspot," said they believed the presidential candidate they supported would definitely win and shared their hopes for the new president and new government. Most emphasized appeals to restore the household finances that have become difficult and to eliminate divisive politics and corruption.

Office worker Lee (26) said, "I'm curious about how the new president will lead our country, and as there was a lot of talk during the polls, I'm also curious about how it will turn out." He added that he hopes the government will provide a lot of support to the youth in their 20s.

Another office worker Lee (28) expressed surprise at the exit poll results being a "photo finish" and said about the new government, "The most worrying issue right now is the real estate problem. I hope they solve the real estate issue well so that people newly entering society can have hope to buy a home and that society can become such a place."

A 60-year-old office worker Lee said, "No matter which candidate becomes president, I hope a leader is elected who can revive the national economy and national prestige and lead the country with strong security."

Meanwhile, as the exit poll results showed a close race, the Democratic Party and the People Power Party showed contrasting moods.

Lee Nak-yeon, the Democratic Party’s general election committee chairman, expressed optimism, saying, "I am greatly encouraged." In an interview with KBS, he said, "The race is closer than we feared, so we must stay alert and watch the vote counting until dawn."

On the other hand, the People Power Party took a calm stance, saying they would watch the counting results carefully. Kwon Young-se, head of the election committee, said, "I think it’s fortunate that the results show even a slight lead, but the margin is smaller than expected, so it’s surprising. Since polls are just polls, we will wait humbly until the results come out through the vote counting."

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