"We need to revive the people's economy" "Resolve the chaos"... Long voting lines from the morning [On-site Report]

"What I want most from the next president is to solve the people's economic problems. It's really hard to make a living these days. I can feel the prolonged economic recession firsthand. When will this tunnel end?" (Mr. Choi, a self-employed person in his 50s who participated in early voting in Incheon Gyeyang)

"I hope the next president will stabilize the economy. If the economy stabilizes, merchants can settle, companies grow, and new hires become active. If jobs stabilize, the burden of marriage or childbirth will naturally decrease." (Mr. Cho, a job seeker in his 20s who participated in early voting in Siheung, Gyeonggi)

■ Early voting lines continue from early morning

On the 29th, when early voting for the 21st presidential election began, citizens met by the Financial News at polling stations in the metropolitan area expressed their expectations for the next president. Reflecting the record-high early voting rate, a large number of citizens flocked to the polling stations from early morning to exercise their voting rights. As the polling station doors opened, voters entered the polling place with anticipation and a tense look. At around 8:30 a.m. that day, citizens met at the Jungang-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, from couples holding hands to young couples with strollers and seniors relying on canes, seemed tense about exercising their precious voting rights during this critical time.

Following the friendly guidance of the voting staff deployed on-site, citizens entered in order, verified their identity with an ID, and exercised their precious vote.

Mr. Kim, in his 30s, said, "I hope a candidate who can resolve the chaotic situation becomes president," adding, "I stopped by before running errands. I voted for a candidate who can solve the country's bad situation." In Sinchon, a university district in Seoul, the early voting line continued. A graduate student in his 20s who participated in early voting because of exam studies on the main voting day said, "As a graduate student, I honestly can't feel how the real economy is going, but from the news or stories around me, it seems very bad," and "In that aspect, I hope visible results can be achieved in the economic field first."

■ Lee Jae-myung, Kim Moon-soo, and Lee Jun-seok also voted early

Major presidential candidates also participated in early voting that day. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, exercised his voting rights with young people in Sinchon, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Candidate Lee said, "Voting is the most certain means for our Republic of Korea's sovereigns to exercise their sovereignty," and "There is a saying that voting is stronger than bullets. Even a civil war can be overcome only by participating in voting."

The encouragement to participate in early voting continued. Candidate Lee explained, "Participating in early voting as much as possible helps to allocate time rationally," and "You never know what might happen on the main voting day, so it's better to do it in advance."

Kim Moon-soo, the People's Power presidential candidate, exercised his voting rights with his daughter Dong-joo in Gyeyang, Incheon. Candidate Kim emphasized, "If we don't do early voting, the overall voting rate will decrease significantly, which is quite problematic and puts us at a disadvantage," and "It's necessary to participate in early voting." Candidate Kim stressed, "There are many who claim that various management failures and the possibility of election fraud can occur," but "This time, we are thoroughly managing it to ensure that such issues do not arise."

Lee Jun-seok, the Reform New Party presidential candidate, completed early voting in Dongtan, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, his constituency. Candidate Lee appealed, "To all Dongtan residents and Korean citizens who have not yet participated in voting, please make a choice to change Korea with your precious vote. I will change it to be younger."

syj@fnnews.com Seo Young-jun, Jang Yu-ha, Lim Sang-hyuk, Hong Chae-wan reporters