[Report] On the Day Yoon's Approval Rating Hit 19%, Visiting 'Conservative Heart' Seomun Market...

Daegu Seomun Market People "President, Disappointing"
Mention of Park Geun-hye Impeachment Trauma
"Democratic Party Talks Impeachment Whenever Bored"

Daegu Seomun Market has a Noodle Alley. That alley, where dozens of street vendors gather to sell noodles, is the heart of Seomun Market. On the 1st, perhaps because it rained, many people visited Noodle Alley to enjoy warm broth. The sight of someone quickly finishing their noodles and another person immediately taking their place is unique. Ms. Ji Bok-hee (72, female) is a veteran who has been selling coffee in Noodle Alley for 38 years. In times when it was hard to find a single caf?, Ms. Ji would quickly prepare and sell coffee to people who had just finished eating noodles. Now, coffee orders rarely come in. Only a few acquaintances come for coffee in the morning; those who eat noodles at lunchtime don’t even glance her way. Ms. Ji’s eyes would turn to her phone but would keep watching whenever someone finished eating kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). She grumbled that even elderly people these days go to caf?s.

Jibokhee (72, female) has been selling coffee in Noodles Alley for 38 years. She described President Yoon Seok-yeol, who has passed the midpoint of his term, as "disappointing," yet expressed trust in the conservative camp.
/Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

Still, Ms. Ji takes pride in having guarded this place for so long. She called Noodle Alley the "Daegwon Alley." She said that any presidential candidate who campaigned in this alley inevitably wins the presidency. Recalling former President Park Geun-hye, Ms. Ji pointed her finger to the middle of Noodle Alley. "When former President Park Geun-hye came here, it was really chaotic. She’s short, you know. I remember the small person standing on a chair here giving a speech." President Yoon Suk-yeol also passed through Noodle Alley. However, she did not share many memories about President Yoon. Only after a while did she comment on him: "Back then, he seemed strong and all, but I’m disappointed."

Daegu Seomun Market has been known as one of the three major markets nationwide since the Joseon Dynasty. It is also famous as the "Mecca" of textile and clothing materials. However, whenever former President Park Geun-hye faced political crises, her visits to Seomun Market elevated it as the "heart of conservatism." The same goes for President Yoon. On March 8, 2022, a day before the presidential election, he visited Seomun Market to appeal for support. Right after winning, he visited again to express gratitude for the overwhelming support. Even now, it is not uncommon to see shops hanging photos taken with President Yoon throughout Seomun Market.

As President Yoon’s term reaches its halfway point (the 10th), what is the public sentiment in Seomun Market? Coincidentally, the day the reporter visited, November 1, was the first day President Yoon’s approval rating dropped to the 10% range. According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from October 29 to 31, targeting 1,005 adults nationwide aged 18 and over, the positive evaluation of the president’s job performance was 19%. (Random sampling, wireless virtual number interview method, response rate 11.1%) The support in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, which seemed like an eternal ally, was 18%, lower than the average. When asked, "What do you think about President Yoon?" the Seomun Market merchants unanimously shook their heads. One elderly man shouted, "Politics is for thieves, how would I know?"

On the 1st, various places in Daegu Seomun Market, which I visited, bore traces of President Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign during the 20th presidential election.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

Going deep into the alley selling clothing materials rather than the central area selling hotteok (sweet pancakes) or fish cakes, the reporter could hear the intimate stories of Seomun Market people. Mr. Park Heung-bae (67, male), who has been selling fabrics at Seomun Market for 40 years, opened up saying, "My chest feels tight." He voted for President Yoon in the 20th presidential election. From his past statement, "I am not loyal to a person," to his time as Prosecutor General and his sharp criticism of the Moon Jae-in administration, he believed President Yoon would be upright.

When asked, "Do you think that uprightness has become a poison now?" Mr. Park smiled slightly and replied, "I guess so? In the past, even when politicians fought, when it was time to reconcile, they would share a glass of Makgeolli and open up their hearts. But now, it’s hard to find such scenes." He saw President Yoon as the one who created the extreme confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties. He also gave failing marks to President Yoon’s leadership, which shows a tough stance. "Having lived life, I think leadership is not about acting arbitrarily. Listening to everyone and embracing them, that’s what leadership seems to be."

Going even deeper, there was someone who could not hold back his resentment. Mr. Kang Seung-ho (52), who has been selling clothing materials at Seomun Market for 30 years, did not smile once during the more than 10 minutes he spoke. "Look here," Mr. Kang said, asking to look around. It was so quiet that it was hard to believe it was a place of business, with only one or two people occasionally passing by. Mr. Kang appealed that the economy has never been this difficult. "It seems like no politician cares about the economy. It was better during COVID-19. People who received disaster relief funds went out to spend money, which gave small business owners some breathing room."

When asked about various suspicions surrounding the so-called "political broker" Myung Tae-kyun, Mr. Kang shook his head. He said both ruling and opposition parties have neglected people’s livelihoods and only tried to expose each other’s scandals, which made him sick of politics. "The Democratic Party only looks for Mrs. Kim Geon-hee or Mr. Myung, and the government and ruling party only look for allegations against Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. They only show fighting. How can we trust politics? Look at that." Mr. Kang pointed at the television above his head. At that moment, the television was showing the Democratic Party releasing the recorded phone conversation between President Yoon and Mr. Myung.

Daegu Seomun Market is famous for textiles and clothing materials. However, the alley of Seomun Market visited on the 1st was quiet with no people.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

The people of Seomun Market seemed caught in a dilemma. Although President Yoon’s governance has been below expectations, they also felt a strong sense of obligation to support the president they elected. They recalled the trauma of losing former President Park to impeachment in 2017. When asked about impeachment, Mr. Kang showed a negative reaction mentioning former President Park. "It seems the president and his wife committed serious corruption, but still, the opposition party brings up impeachment too often. After impeaching former President Park once, they seem to talk about impeachment whenever they feel bored."

Mr. Park saw President Yoon’s governance becoming difficult due to Democratic Party leader Lee’s legal risks. He also expressed rejection toward the progressive camp. He said, "The Democratic Party now talks about early resignation or impeachment to resolve Lee’s legal risks, don’t you think? I can’t trust the Democratic Party." He also raised his voice, saying, "Mentioning impeachment when the crime is not clearly proven yet is like shaking the nation."

"Here, we don’t vote based on the person, we vote based on the party." Ms. Ji showed a critical attitude toward Daegu people always voting for conservative candidates. Yet, she cautiously said she would probably vote for the conservative presidential candidate in the next election. Ms. Ji mentioned former President Park Chung-hee. "Former President Park Chung-hee worked a lot. When we were struggling, he brought us flour to eat. Because of what former President Park did, I think Daegu people will support the conservative camp."