Seoul youth: Local elections were government review, not 'sedition judgment'

Young voters in Seoul largely viewed the recent local elections as a referendum on the current government, not a judgment on sedition. Many participants in a focus group expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling party's "sedition judgment" slogan, seeing it as irrelevant to current issues.

“

The state of emergency has been in place for a year and a half. The judgment on sedition was last year's presidential election. The Democratic Party has led national affairs, so this election was about evaluating the Lee Jae-myung government.

During a focus group interview conducted by the Hankyoreh newspaper, 14 young adults in their 20s and 30s shared their perspectives on the elections. Most felt the election was a chance to evaluate the current administration's performance over the past year. "The state of emergency has been in place for a year and a half. The judgment on sedition was last year's presidential election," said Park Ji-hoon, a 28-year-old resident of Eunpyeong-gu. "The Democratic Party has led national affairs, so this election was about evaluating the Lee Jae-myung government."

“

Mayor Oh Se-hoon has run five times as mayor, but I didn't know his achievements well, so I voted for Jung. Although people said Jung was good at his job, I don't think he explained his accomplishments well.

Regarding the Seoul mayoral election results, some participants felt that the Democratic Party candidate, Jung Won-oh, lost ground on personal appeal compared to the incumbent, Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party. Oh Ji-eun, who voted for Jung, commented, "Mayor Oh Se-hoon has run five times as mayor, but I didn't know his achievements well, so I voted for Jung. Although people said Jung was good at his job, I don't think he explained his accomplishments well."

“

Is it even possible for a country like ours to run out of ballots?

Participants also discussed the protest that occurred at Olympic Park in Seoul following a shortage of ballots. They generally agreed that the young people who gathered there were motivated by a desire to protect democracy. "Is it even possible for a country like ours to run out of ballots?" asked Yoon Jeong-hoon, 38. Jung Yu-jin, 25, added, "People were angry about the poorly managed election. I think they gathered because they felt they had to protect democracy after experiencing two impeachments."

“

People were angry about the poorly managed election. I think they gathered because they felt they had to protect democracy after experiencing two impeachments.