A Day for Judgment and Future Investment

Voters will go to polls to elect a new president at the 17th presidential election today. It is a day for judging the legacy of the Roh administration over the past five years, and a day to invest in our future. Every single vote matters and will decide our future over the next five years.

Since the first direct presidential election in Korea, all presidential elections have been marred with negative legacies like divisions among regions, random parings with a new partner for better odds, and negative campaigning. Korean people, however, have been wise enough to make the right decisions and overcome obstacles. Individuals have made different choices, but the general public as a whole has chosen the right way. In particular, in the run-up to this election, negative campaigning reached an alarming level and politicians did not put the country and people into consideration. Fortunately, people were not lured by their politicking.

A vote today will be the last opportunity to upgrade Korea before it becomes an aging society and a slow-growth country. South Korea’s future as a developed nation is at stake. It is obvious where Korea should be headed. In most polls, Koreans put encouraging corporate investment, creating jobs, narrowing the income gap, cutting taxes, reducing private education costs, and streamlining government as the next administration’s priorities. Choosing the right man for the job is in the hands of voters.

Like the chairman of the National Election Commission said, casting a vote takes the same time as having a cup of tea. Let’s go to the polls and show what zeitgeist voters think.

With the revision of the election law, 19 year-olds will be able vote in the elections. Though they account for 1.6 percent of the total population (620,000), they are the new hope for our future. They are the wise group who collect discount coupons when they go to movie theaters or fast food restaurants. We hope they are as “wise” at the polls as well. At the same time, 49, 59, 69, and 79-year olds should cast their votes for a better country and society that the 19-year olds will live in.

Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the foundation of this country. Today is the day for a fresh start for Korea.