A 110-year-old voter drew attention Wednesday when she made her way to the polls on the day of the 9th nationwide local elections, keeping what she calls a perfect voting record stretching back to 1963. Kim Jeong-ja, the oldest registered voter in Gwangju's Dong-gu, arrived that morning at Polling Station No. 2 in Gyerim 1-dong to cast her ballot.
Kim entered the polling station leaning on a cane adorned with a yellow ribbon, supported by her daughter, and cast her vote.
As she slipped her ballot into the box, Kim said she had come out "because I want to make our country a better place," adding that she hoped the government would do more to help young people find work rather than remain idle.
"Even I, past 100, come out to vote," she said, stressing that voting is something every citizen — young or old — must do for the sake of the country.
Kim was born on Dec. 21, 1915, and has not missed a single election since she first voted in the fifth presidential election, held on Oct. 15, 1963. On Wednesday, she reportedly urged her family to hurry so she could get to the polling station as quickly as possible.
yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com
