Generation gap matters

Previous elections had featured the East-West voter divide which describes the polarization of voters living on either coasts of the peninsula.

Voters in the eastern region preferred the conservative Saenuri Party, whereas those in the western region cast sweeping votes in favor of the liberal Democratic United Party (DUP).

Recent public opinion surveys, however, predicted that the decades-long voting patterns will fade to some extent. Results showed the Dec. 19 presidential election is likely to take a different form of polarization: a general divide between young and elderly voters.

Recently, Lee Choon-hwa, an owner of a small hair salon in the suburban city of Gimpo, approximately 40 kilometers north of Seoul, had an argument with her 20-year old daughter over the presidential race.

Son Min-ji, her daughter, is a huge fan of Ahn Cheol-soo, a software mogul-turned-candidate. The college freshman was anxious to exercise her right to pick the independent candidate as the new president in the upcoming election.

“My daughter said she used to support Rep. Moon Jae-in of the main opposition DUP before Ahn declared his presidential bid,” Lee said. “But she said she had changed her mind as Ahn made his bid official.”

The 48-year-old single mom said she would vote for Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party.

“I know that Ahn achieved a lot. But I doubt if he is presidential material because he has no experience in politics. This made me feel uneasy about him as a presidential candidate.” “The presidential election has been hotly debated among my clients, who are mostly in their 40s or older, since Ahn announced his intention to join the race. Particularly elderly voters have no confidence in Ahn because of his lack of experience in the political arena.”

The Lee family’s divide between the 48-year-old mom and her 20-year-old daughter over the presidential election is a snapshot of the young-elderly voter divide revealed in polls.

Surveys showed that Ahn is overridingly popular among voters in their 20s and 30s, whereas Rep. Park, the daughter of the late President Park Chung-hee, appeals to those in their 50s or older.

The recent Gallup poll found support for Ahn stood at 62 percent among 20-something voters, compared with 28 percent for Park in a hypothetical two-way race. The gap between the two candidates among voters in their 30s is even wider. Park’s rate marked merely 29 percent, whereas support for Ahn hit 65 percent.

The double-digit gap is also shown in Park’s hypothetical two-way race with DUP candidate Moon.

The support trend of voters of the age group stands in stark contrast with that of elderly voters.

Rep. Park is unrivaled with both Ahn and Moon in the surveys taken among voters in their 50s or older. Support for Park among voters in their 60s or older hit 70 percent.

The two age groups — younger voters in their 20s and 30s and older ones in their 50s and older — each account for approximately 38 percent of the entire voter population.

Park haters

Rep. Park is relatively unpopular among young voters because she is portrayed as being boring and not eloquent. Some indicated they dislike Rep. Park because she is the daughter of the late President Park.

Kwon Jin-hyun, a supporter of Rep. Moon, said Rep. Park is definitely not an appealing speaker.

“Park frequently stammers and this makes me feel that she probably is not a smart lady. Watching her speak on TV sometimes tested my patience,” Kwon said. “I also doubt her motives to become president. I believe her personal ambition, not the determination that she will serve the nation or the public, seems to be a key driving force to her presidential bid.”

Ha Tae-young, 32, said Park’s stance on the controversial legacy of her late father led him to question her qualifications as a leader.

The trading company worker said although Park spent her childhood days at Cheong Wa Dae watching her father leading the nation and this should have trained her for leadership. Ha said Park, “Despite this, her leadership is still lacking.”

Park Mi-young, a 29-year-old school teacher, said she was sick and tired of established political parties and old politicians. “I will vote for Ahn because I feel that we need someone fresh and new in the political arena. I believe Ahn can make a difference for the country,” she said.

The young-elderly voter divide in opinion on the presidential candidates is a new phenomenon in the presidential race, given that previously elections were caught in the trap of an East-West divide lasting for several decades.

Regionalism is unlikely to be a phenomenon in the presidential race this year, probably because the three major candidates have strong ties with the eastern part of the country.

Park, who was born in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, is very popular there and in Busan as well. Ahn is a Busan native. Moon, who was born in Geoje, an island south of Busan, has ties with the southeastern port city as well as he worked there for 17 years as a human rights lawyer. <The Korea Times/Kang Hyun-kyung, Jun Ji-hye>

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