55% of Young Voters Say "Will Definitely Vote in June 3 Local Elections"... Focusing on Jobs and Housing Pledges

Youth Platform "Open and Close" Releases Survey Results on May 15
84.6% of 456 Young Respondents Express Intention to Vote
"44.7% to Vote Based on Pledges" ... "Need to Address Real-life Issues"

As the June 3 local elections approach, a survey has found that more than half of young voters responded that they "will definitely vote."

The Youth Data Research Institute of the youth policy platform “Open-Close” announced on the 15th the results of its “Youth Policy Blind Survey,” which was conducted over two weeks starting from April 28 among 456 young voters.

According to the survey, 54.8% of respondents said they "will definitely vote," making up the majority, and 29.8% answered that they "will probably vote," meaning that a total of 84.6% expressed their intention to participate in the election.

There was a relatively high response for policy-centered voting based on comparing and reviewing candidates’ pledges. Among respondents, 44.7% said, "Even if I have a preferred party, I will vote for another candidate if their pledges are better." In contrast, 33.8% said, "I will still vote for my preferred party," which is 11 percentage points lower. This indicates that a significant portion of young voters consider the content of pledges more important than just the party name.

However, expectations for the fulfillment of pledges were not high. Only a limited number of respondents believed that youth pledges would be fully kept after the election, while the majority expected that only "about half" or "some" of the promises would be fulfilled.

The areas cited as most important by young people in this local election were jobs and startups (35.5%), and housing stability (34.2%). In response to a question about the most pressing issues they currently face, job and income instability (36.8%) and housing cost burden (24.6%) received the highest responses. This suggests that the key agenda for young voters in this local election remains “livelihood issues,” especially jobs and housing.

In the survey on policy preferences by area, there was a strong response toward policies directly linked to everyday life. The research institute presented the youth pledges of each party without disclosing the party names, instead focusing only on the policy content, to determine which policies young voters actually need more than the image of a party or candidate.

As a result, in the housing sector, the “Safe Lease Contract System to Prevent Jeonse Rental Fraud” (The Minjoo Party of Korea) received the highest support at 23.2%. This was followed by the “10,000-won Ultra-Low-Cost Public Housing” (Progressive Party) at 21.9%, and the “Public Jeonse at Half the Market Price” (People Power Party) at 16.7%. Among young voters, immediate and tangible concerns such as anxiety about rental fraud, the burden of monthly rent, and affordable public housing were more sensitive topics than general issues of housing prices.

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In the jobs and startups sector, the “Regional Public Job Guarantee System” (Progressive Party) ranked first with 21.1%. This was followed by “Flexible and Stable Vocational Training and Retraining” (People Power Party, 15.8%) and the “AI Transition Youth Employment Council” (Basic Income Party, 15.1%). Young people were more focused on actual opportunities for work and mechanisms that help with job preparation, rather than grand slogans.

There was also a strong response to policies aimed at reducing the cost of living. In the transportation and living expenses sector, “Youth K-Pass: 50% Fare Refund” (People Power Party) received the highest support at 30.0%. In the assets and income sector, “Nationwide Expansion of Youth Basic Income” (Basic Income Party) and “1% Ultra-Low Interest Childbirth-Linked Loan Reduction” (People Power Party) received similar levels of support at 21.1% and 20.8%, respectively.

Won Kyuhui, head of the Youth Data Research Institute at Open-Close, said, “The clearest finding of this survey is that young people respond more to policy content that can actually change their lives than to the mere label of ‘youth pledges.’ In the full-fledged election phase, winning the youth vote will depend on how specifically parties address real-life issues such as monthly rent, jobs, transportation costs, and anxiety about rental fraud, rather than abstract youth messages.”

He added, “The possibility that young people may be more influenced by policies than by party affiliation indicates that practical, everyday pledges from each candidate could have a real impact on voting decisions in this local election. Each party and candidate should refine their youth pledges into actionable, practical policies rather than just declarations.”

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