"Hope for a Better Country"... Citizens Share Their Expectations for the New President

"Now, I truly hope the country regains political and economic stability."

Yeouido Park, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, visited around 7:30 a.m. on the 4th. Photo by Youngchan Choi

On the morning of June 4, at around 7:30 a.m. near Gwanghwamun in Seoul, citizens on their way to work shared their hopes for the new president, saying they are "looking forward" to the future. The greatest expectation among citizens was "economic recovery."

Park, a 42-year-old who runs a cafe near Gwanghwamun, said, "Above all, the most important thing is the economy. With all eyes focused on politics due to the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, I believe that now, with Lee Jae-myung elected as the new president, he will bring political stability and pay attention to helping small business owners and others recover." Seo Youngwon, a 36-year-old office worker, also said, "In the end, the most important issue is making a living. Recently, it's become difficult even to find a part-time job, and vacant stores have noticeably increased. I hope the new president will address livelihood issues first and give people hope."

Kim Misook, a 55-year-old insurance planner, said, "I've often heard from clients that money isn't circulating due to the economic downturn, so it's been tough to do business. I believe President Lee Jae-myung will increase the budget for economic recovery and give people some breathing room." Lee Jungkyu, 29, said, "Now that he's been elected, I hope he does well. If I could ask one thing of President Lee, it's that since our country is strong in the nuclear power industry, I hope he will focus on revitalizing the industry rather than phasing out nuclear power."

There were also calls for President Lee Jae-myung to focus on stability and national unity. Yoon, a taxi driver in his 50s, said, "The country has been too chaotic, so I hope he will lead us toward unity." Han Byungjun, 30, said, "The most anticipated part is calming the national turmoil caused by martial law. With the vacancy in the presidency, there have been concerns about diplomacy and national defense, so I hope he will now provide strong leadership."

Lee, 31, also said, "I hope President Lee will handle diplomacy well, including tariff negotiations with the United States. Since our country relies on exports, and it's realistically difficult to choose between the U.S. and China, I hope he will break away from pro-China or pro-U.S. frames and pursue pragmatic diplomacy."

Many citizens also expressed hope that the new president would complete his term successfully. Hwang Hyunmin, an office worker in his 30s, said, "I hope the president can finish his term without further impeachments or political turmoil." Choi, in his 50s, said, "If President Lee wants to be a proud and fair president, he should not stop the trials but continue them."

Younger people called for deeper discussions on pension reform. Jung Seokhyun, 29, said, "The 'pay more, receive more' pension reform plan does not reflect the voices of young people. The reform should not just be for the older generation, but should be directed toward all citizens and future generations."

Some citizens also called for a thorough investigation into former President Yoon Suk-yeol. Lee Myungsoo, 35, said, "Since the president was impeached under martial law and the administration has changed, all suspicions related to former President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee must be thoroughly investigated." Kim Jungki, 43, said, "I hope there will be a thorough investigation into the incidents that led to the early presidential election."