‪It's one p.m. on June 30, and the sight is a crosswalk in front of Bangchon Market in Dong-gu, Daegu. This is where the people in Saenuri Party floor leader Yoo Seong-min's constituency (Dong-gu District No. 2, Daegu) voice their opinions on their representative currently under pressure by President Park Geun-hye to resign.

This crossing is no different from any other, but a war of banners is raging on here. Until this morning, a placard that read, "The residents of Dong-gu chose you. Hang in there, lawmaker Yoo Seong-min!" hung here, and was later taken down. The day before, there was a placard that read, "Ungrateful Yoo Seong-min! Immediately resign!" which was also taken down. "Both sides call and ask us why we're not taking down the other, and why we're taking down theirs." The complaint by a civil servant at the Dong-gu Office reflects the public opinion caught between two heavyweight politicians from Daegu.

The residents in this area have been talking about the president and Yoo Seong-min for days. It was evident that they sympathized with Yoo and had high expectations for him as the next generation leader. However, there were also many who remembered how the president (the leader of the Grand National Party at the time) reached out her swollen hands--swollen from one too many handshakes during the election campaign--and asked the citizens to support the then candidate Yoo Seong-min in the October 26 by-election in 2005.

Not a few viewed Yoo with critical eyes. Bak Myeong-jin (61, Bangchon-dong), whom we met at Bangchon Market said, "He was practically elected because of President Park. He's so ungrateful!" Kim (78) added, "Yoo Seong-min's done a lot wrong. He shouldn't be doing that just because he's risen to what he has." Choi Jeong-ho (40, Bangchon-dong) simply said, "Quickly resigning is the answer." He added, "The president helped him get this far, and he betrayed her. I'm telling people that I won't vote for him if he comes out as the Saenuri Party candidate in the next election."

However, the look that citizens gave the president was just as cold. They said more and more people felt resistance towards how the president poured out strong words and publicly displayed her lack of confidence in Yoo. An official from the Daegu City Council said, "The lines from the film, Friend, 'Stop it. I've had enough,' accurately tells things as they are," to express his views on such a trend. Kim Ju-bon (66) who has been driving a taxi for forty-five years said, "The president herself said that she is married to the Republic of Korea. Then she should be thinking of the people, she shouldn't be doing that. It would have been better if she called him privately and reasoned with him," and opposed the resignation of Yoo. Ahn (55) from Yonggye-dong said, "It is absurd for the president to fire the floor leader, just because he is saying what is right."

However, many thought that Yoo would eventually have to resign even as they criticized the president. Bak Yong-gi (58), whom we met in front of Yoo's regional office said, "I don't want the representative of my constituency to get hurt, but the opponent is the president. The conservative groups don't suffer from a shortage of talent anywhere else in the world. It's just us, and I think that itself shows the president's lack of tolerance."

The split public opinion was no different in Dalseong-gun, Daegu, President Park Geun-hye's political hometown. There was a clear difference from the absolute support she once enjoyed when she was the lawmaker of this area.

The middle-aged and elderly poured out their criticism of President Park and Yoo Seong-min, who stood up to her. Kim Jong-gyu (62, self-employed), whom we met at Hwawon intersection in Dalseong-gun said, "The president is trying with all her might to stimulate the economy; he shouldn't be shaking her, if he can't support her. It isn't right for a Daegu person to attack a president from Daegu." Seo Dong-cheol (72), a native of this area said, "It (Yoo's actions) is a political maneuver, trying to reap benefits by putting the president in a difficult situation."

The views of the younger generation were slightly different. Yi Jun-gyu (44, alias), a member of B middle school's governing board in Dalseong-gun said, "The common people's economic situation is wobbling because of the MERS outbreak, and I'm tired of politics when I see the ruling party fighting each other," and condemned both parties. Kim Dong-seok (37, alias), whom we met in front of the Dalseong-gun Office said, "President Park virtually neglected Dalseong, which had helped her grow, after winning the presidential election. It was the president who betrayed the people's trust and loyalty."

The number of hostile eyes on the president grew as we moved toward downtown Daegu. Gwon Dong-cheol (34), an office worker we met at Dongseong-ro, Daegu this afternoon said, "It wasn't mature of the president to publicly drive a particular figure into the corner. I felt the chills running down my spine at her spiteful remarks full of emotions."