June 15, 2025

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On a radiant Tuesday morning, the schoolyard of an elementary school in Jongno, central Seoul, momentarily resembled a scene of carefree family life, as a couple swung their young daughter by her arms, laughter echoing across the grounds.

But this was no ordinary school visit — the family came to cast their ballots in a critical by-election to choose Korea’s next president.

The vote follows a tumultuous chapter in the nation’s political history. Six months earlier, then-President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, a controversial decision that derailed his presidency and plunged the country into political and social paralysis.

On April 4, the Constitutional Court upheld the National Assembly's impeachment, irrevocably removing Yoon from office and triggering this irregular presidential election.

After two days of early voting on Thursday and Friday, Election Day arrived Tuesday, as voters across the country turned out to choose between the six candidates vying to lead a divided nation.

“I cast my vote in the hope of seeing a leader emerge who can mend the deep divisions in Korean society, whether of wealth, gender, generation or religion, where people clash rather than seek understanding and peace,” said Yoo, a man in his 50s at the elementary school with his wife and daughter.

Yoo added that extreme divisions in society harm the nation’s interests in key areas such as national security and the economy. “When assessing what benefits our country, we shouldn’t dismiss things as simply bad or good, but rather approach them with a clearer perspective.”

Across the capital, many Seoulites were eager to make their voices heard as early as possible through their votes.

At the district office of Dongjak-gu in southern Seoul, around 30 people were lined up to vote at 5:57 a.m., just before voting was to officially open at 6 a.m.

“I didn’t expect to see so many people waiting in line,” said a 50-something woman surnamed Kim, the first in line at the polling station. “It’s clear that many people, like me, are deeply interested in this presidential election. I hope the new leader will work to build a nation that serves the broader interests of the people.”

Seated on the office sofa was a woman in her 70s, who remarked she had come to the polling station despite her sore knees, believing that voting was akin to "saving the nation."

Her sentiment echoed that of many early-morning voters, especially in the wake of the recent political turmoil from which the country is only beginning to recover.

“Last time, we saw a narrow margin that completely changed the outcome,” said Kim, a man in his early 30s in Wangsimni, Seongdong-gu, referring to the 2022 presidential election, where a 0.73 percentage point difference determined the winner.

His friend, standing next to him, added, “Most people around me said they’re voting this time. I came today realizing that my vote carries much more weight than I had thought.”

Some were hard-liners, like a man in his 70s who completed voting at 7:25 a.m. at a high school in Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul, fuming that this election was about saving the country from “thieflike” criminals.

At the same polling station, a 63-year-old businessperson warned the nation could not afford to be lost to “anti-government forces” engaged in illegal activities.

While voting carries the mission of endorsing a particular candidate, some simply longed for a return to stability.

Lee, a senior university student, voiced hopes for a better economy under the new administration: “I’m currently preparing for the job market, but recent news only seems to worsen the employment outlook. I hope the economy improves, boosting job prospects.”

Another 24-year-old university student called for the country to shift its focus from broad political discourse to the smaller, everyday issues that truly matter to people. “Please give us hope that we can do better,” she pleaded to the future leader.

By No Kyung-min (minmin@heraldcorp.com