SEOUL -- On a predawn bus taking her to work as a cleaner, Jung Soon-ja snacks on ginseng jellies to boost her energy and applies eyedrops to protect against the dust and chemicals she will encounter.
The No. 8146 bus carries dozens of cleaners and security guards from a working-class area of northern Seoul to the glitzy Gangnam district. Politicians' pledges are not striking a chord with many of these workers ahead of pivotal elections next week. © Illustration by Hiroko Aida
Asia Insight
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