[Reporter’s Notebook] What the Cold Reception at Seomun Market Reveals

On November 1, to gauge public sentiment in a region considered the "heart of conservatism" ahead of President Yoon Suk-yeol's term midpoint (November 10), I visited Daegu Seomun Market. Despite the rainy and chilly weather, I was sweating nervously. The market people's reactions were cold. Even when political topics were brought up, they waved their hands dismissively and replied, "I don't know much about that." Some raised their voices, asking, "What is your intention in coming all the way here to ask such things?" According to a poll conducted by Gallup Korea from October 29 to 31 surveying 1,005 people nationwide aged 18 and older, President Yoon's approval rating was 19%, and this low support was palpable on the ground. (Random sampling, wireless virtual number interview method, response rate 11.1%)

Nevertheless, some people agreed to be interviewed while revealing their names. All of them said they voted for President Yoon in the 20th presidential election. However, it did not take long for their expectations to turn into disappointment. The reasons for their disappointment were varied. The first criticism was that while people's livelihoods were deteriorating, President Yoon was focused only on "achievements" like nuclear power plant contracts and oil drilling. There was also criticism that President Yoon did not communicate with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, or Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party. It was not mere grumbling. A merchant selling clothing materials sighed deeply while looking at the market alley where no one came during the entire interview. The shop owner next door, who had closed the shutter, said he went to work as a substitute driver because business was bad. "Should I do that too..." The merchant's words conveyed the heavy burden of enduring daily hardships.

The fact that these ordinary citizens revealed their names to me likely indicates their desperation. However, there is still no sign of change in President Yoon's attitude as he reaches the midpoint of his term. The policy speech on the 4th is a representative example. Instead of attending himself to explain next year's budget and seek cooperation, he sent Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The prime minister read the policy speech emphasizing the completion of the four major reforms with President Yoon as the subject, not himself. It is said that President Yoon did not come to the National Assembly because he was concerned about political conflicts such as the special prosecutor law regarding First Lady Kim Keon-hee and the release of recordings involving Myung Tae-gyun. However, while emphasizing the four major reforms, it will be difficult for the public to understand a president who does not engage in dialogue with the opposition party that holds tight control over the budget review authority. The hope placed on the president's press conference on the 7th stems from the faces of the merchants I met at Seomun Market lingering in my mind.

In July 2022, President Yoon said during a door-stopping on his way to work, "Approval ratings don't matter. I must only think of the people and work hard." But by now, he must be feeling that no matter how good the reforms are, it is difficult to push them forward without public support. The four-character idiom chosen by professors in 2016, when the 'Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil gate' broke out, was Gunju Minsu (君舟民水), meaning "The ruler is the boat, the people are the water." Just as water can overturn a boat, the people can overthrow their leader. Even in Seomun Market, the "heart of conservatism," the ripples of this wave were felt.