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Voters share hopes for future as polling stations open in Seoul

Published: 03 Jun. 2025, 16:30 Updated: 03 Jun. 2025, 19:21

Residents line up to vote at Seungryong’s Place, a district-run cafe operated by the Gangdong District Office and temporarily converted into a polling station, in Kang Full Cartoon Alley, Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, around 6 a.m. on June 3. [JOONGANG ILBO]

At dawn on Tuesday, Seungryong’s Place — a cozy cafe tucked inside Kang Full Cartoon Alley in eastern Seoul — wasn’t serving iced Americanos or cafe lattes. It was serving democracy. Transformed into a polling station for the day, the cafe was already buzzing by 6 a.m., when a poll worker stood up and declared, “Voting for the June 3, 2025, presidential election begins now.”

First in line was Baek Seung-mun, 75, a longtime resident who cast his vote with hopes for a brighter future — not for himself, but for his grandchildren.

“I want the country to get back on track,” he said. “For the sake of the little ones.”

As Baek exited the polling station, election officials gave him a thumbs-up and said, “You're our first voter today.” Smiling shyly, he waved goodbye and headed home.

Jang Seok-jun, 36, who moved into a rental apartment in Gangdong District after marrying a year ago, also cast his ballot at Seungryong’s Place. “I voted for the candidate who I believe can make it easier to buy a home and raise children,” he said.

Kim, 37, brought his one-year-old son to the polling station. “He won’t remember this, but I want him to grow up knowing that he came to the polls in his father’s arms,” Kim said. “I thought a lot about what’s best for my child and my family. Now that I’ve voted early and the weather is nice, we’re heading to the Han River park for a family outing.”

A family takes a voting certification photo in front of the Seungryong’s Place polling station in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, around 6 a.m. on June 3. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Unique voting selfies stood out as well. One family of four, surnamed Shin, who live in Gangdong District, took a photo after voting with a paper that read “Hanwha Champions” with a ballot seal stamped on it.

“I found printable ‘voting certificate sheets’ for each baseball team by searching on Naver,” Shin said. “Taking photos and posting them on Instagram is fun.”

Young voters also showed up early at a polling station in Daehak-dong, Gwanak District, southern Seoul, an area with a dense population of people in their 20s and 30s.

“I’m a contract worker and really want a stable job,” said a 38-year-old surnamed Ji, who started working at a security company last month. “I’m anxious about how long I can keep working, and switching jobs constantly stresses me out. Job security is my top concern right now.”

Koo Bon, 27, who works in the restaurant industry, said he got interested in politics through short clips on YouTube.

Young voters appear at a polling station in Daehak-dong, Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on June 3. [JOONGANG ILBO]

“While watching a summary of a debate, I was curious about why candidate Lee Jun-seok said, ‘Are you raising an elephant?’ so I looked it up,” said Koo. “Thanks to YouTube Shorts, I reviewed the candidates’ policies more closely this time. It really helped spark interest in politics among young people.”

Originally from Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Koo moved to Seoul for work and is interested in the state-sponsored Happy Housing program, where the government gives small-scale housing to college students, newly married couples and young people in the work force.

“I heard living in Seoul longer helps with eligibility for Happy Housing, so I moved here,” Koo said. “I hope the government does more to promote these housing policies.”

“The economy has been bad lately, and I lost my job,” said Baek Chan-hyun, 27, who has been on leave from his job in construction for three weeks. “As a working person, I hope inflation stabilizes soon so more jobs can be created.”

A patient casts a ballot with the help of a caregiver and paramedics at the Hannam No. 3 Polling Station, located at the Jungbu Technical Education Center in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on June 3, the day of the 21st presidential election. [YONHAP]

“AI is a key future industry, but it requires both intensive study and investment,” said a 28-year-old surnamed Yang, a graduate of Seoul National University and an IT industry worker. “Given how hard it is to get government support, I hope the administration actively works to foster talent like in the United States.”

Some voters chose to wait for Election Day because they didn’t trust early voting. Yang, 68, who lives in Sillim-dong, Gwanak District, said, “There’s been so much controversy about early voting that I came early before work today. I can’t help but think the National Election Commission has caused this mistrust.”

Even emergency patients managed to vote with assistance from rescue workers. At the Hannam No. 3 Polling Station, set up at the Jungbu Technical Education Center in Yongsan District, central Seoul, a patient was aided by a guardian and paramedics to cast their vote. Voters with disabilities also turned out.

“I went to vote by myself in my wheelchair this morning,” said Cho Soon-ran, 67, a resident of Nowon District, northern Seoul, with a Level 2 physical disability. “There were no thresholds or obstacles at the polling station, so it was easy to vote. I hope the world becomes more accessible for people like me.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON, KIM SEONG-JIN, PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]