Today (9th), the day of the 20th Presidential Election, voting was hot at various polling places in Seoul, with long lines lining up from 6 am, the start time of voting.



More than 40 people were already lining up at the polling place at the Daehang-dong Community Service Center in Gwanak-gu, just before the start of voting today.



Citizens waited for the polling station door to open with their coats folded in the near-zero dawn cold.



University student Mo (29), who arrived first at around 5:34 am, said, "I originally wanted to vote in advance, but I came today to receive home treatment for Corona 19. I hope," he expected.



Kim, a 71-year-old office worker who visited the polling place with his wife in mountain climbing clothes, said, "In this election, we have no choice but to choose one person because there are no reliable candidates."



At the polling place at the Sinsaje 1-dong Community Service Center in Eunpyeong-gu, around 5:45 a.m., about 30 people lined up to cast one vote.



One late citizen saw the line extending to the 3rd floor of the community center and turned around.



When the shutters at the entrance to the community center opened around 5:55 a.m., the polling officers instructed citizens to sanitize their hands and handed out disposable gloves to use when voting.



Officials were busy making sure citizens had arrived at the correct polling place serving their address.




Unlike early voting, today's main voting can only be done at the polling place having jurisdiction over your address.



Four or five voters, who had to go to another polling place, got out of line.



When asked which candidate he would vote for, Mr. Kim, 64, who is self-employed, replied "an honest candidate."



Kim smiled, saying, "Secondly, living well or living poorly, I hope that the president will be someone who will not lie to the people and explain everything in detail."



The polling place at the Cheongpa-dong Community Service Center in Yongsan-gu also had about 20 people waiting just before the voting started.



One man arrived early but didn't bring his ID, so he rushed home.



At the front of the queue here at the polling place was a 70-year-old aunt who arrived with her husband around 5:35 am.



Lee, who followed her husband, who works as a security guard, on the way to work, said, "We have lived enough to live, so I hope that no matter what kind of person we become, I would like to make a country where young people can live." I hope I can live as well as I can.”



As of 00:00 today, the number of new corona19 confirmed by at least 320,000 is expected to record an all-time high.



Mo (72) Lee, who continued to cover the mask with his hand, said, "I was going to vote in advance, but there were too many people, so I came out early today.



Teenagers and young people in their early 20s, who were voting for the first time in their lives, also stood out.




Kim (19), who visited the Cheongpa-dong polling place with her father (54) and older sister (22), said with a recalled expression, "It was very different from the election of the school president.



Mr. Kim said, "I chose a person who will never turn away from the people and will not sell the country. I will go home and watch the counting show while eating chicken."



Mo (22), who came with her family to the polling place at the Sinwol 6-dong Community Service Center in Yangcheon-gu, in pajamas pants and slippers, also laughed as it was her first election vote.



Mr. Lee said, "I'm working part-time after graduating from college, and I hope that the next president will help me find a job."



Jo (19), who was in the same line, also came to cast a precious vote with his family.



Mr. Cho said, "I have high expectations as it is the first vote. I watched the (election) debate a bit, and I hope that the elected president will keep his promises."



Voters also poured out their bitter voices over the controversy over the poor management of early voting for confirmed and quarantined people with COVID-19.



Seo (73), who visited the polling place in Sinsa-dong, raised his voice, saying, "(The election) is held once in five years, so I don't know how I was not prepared. It's a matter to think about together."



Kim (40), who met at the polling place at the Jongno 1, 2, 3, 4 Ga-dong Community Center, said that he voted today because there were concerns about fraudulent voting, such as papers that had been voted on during early voting.



Mo (28), an office worker who went to the Yonggang-dong Community Service Center in Mapo-gu to vote, said, "The supporters of the loser side are likely to be dissatisfied with the result because of the poor pre-voting situation."



The nationwide voter turnout for the two hours until 8 am today was tentatively counted at 5%, which is 0.6 percentage points lower than the 5.6% turnout in the same time period in the 2017 presidential election.



(Photo = Yonhap News)