Koreans express hopes for incoming government

President Yoon Suk-yeol receives a briefing from the Joint Chiefs of Staffs in the underground bunker of the new presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

People want President Yoon to focus on improving people's livelihood

By Lee Hyo-jin

Korean citizens expressed a wide range of hopes and expectations of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, from the easing of home mortgage regulations, to tailoring welfare policies to those in need, to making society safer for children. Though their expectations differ in the details, they all hope that the policies carried out by the Yoon administration will concretely improve their daily lives over the next five years.

Lee Ji-eon, a 31-year-old office worker in Seoul, said that she hopes to buy her own home during Yoon's presidency, as the new president pledged to relax mortgage loan requirements especially for young people and those who do not currently own a home.

Lee welcomed the presidential transition committee's recent announcement about raising the loan-to-value ratio up to 80 percent for those who are buying their first-ever homes. This change would enable an individual to take out a mortgage of up to 800 million won ($620,000) for a house that costs 1 billion won.

"In addition to the easing of mortgage regulations, I wish the new government would stabilize housing prices so that purchasing a home will no longer be a far-fetched dream for young people," Lee told The Korea Times.

Some people wished that the incoming government would improve social welfare policies and provide tailored support to the people most in need.

"Due to loopholes in the current welfare system, I've seen many people living in a decent condition become beneficiaries of government subsidies and cash handouts," said an office worker surnamed Bang. "Government funds that were taken out of taxpayers' pockets should be used for those in need."

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She added, "Moreover, recent rallies held by people with disabilities in subways have revealed the absence of effective measures to guarantee their rights to movement. I hope this issue gets more attention from the new administration."

Then President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol greets people in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, during his visit to the region, May 4. Joint Press Corps

A housewife surnamed Kim in her 40s said that the government should do more to make the country a safer place for children.

"As a mother of two children attending elementary school, my top priority is the establishment of a safe environment for raising children. I feel devastated by the horrific child abuse cases and school bullying," she said.

Some people demanded Yoon to fulfill his election pledges.

"I hope Yoon fulfills his promises to support the self-employed," said a cafe owner surnamed Kim in Seoul's Yongsan District. The new president has promised to spend about 50 trillion won to compensate pandemic-hit small business owners.

A 21-year-old college student, who wished to stay anonymous, urged Yoon to keep his promise to guarantee enlisted soldiers with a monthly salary of two million won. "I'm planning to enlist in the mandatory military service in the latter half of this year. So I'm hoping that he realizes his promise before then," he said.

However, some were skeptical about whether Yoon would do a good job as the nation's new leader.

"My hopes for the new government are not so high. It already feels like it doesn't care much about public opinion, seeing how Yoon has pushed ahead with the relocation of the presidential office," said Lee Yoon-ji, a resident in Incheon.

Yoon's decision to begin his term in the former Ministry of National Defense's headquarters in Yongsan District sparked heated debate among the public, with many pointing out the lack of public discussion in the decision making process.

"I'm also worried that Yoon, who garnered a lot of votes by criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration, will undo most of the policies carried out by the previous government, even the good ones," she added.

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