The 16th Presidential Election Day has come. Tonight or before midnight at the latest, we are to observe the birth of a new leader, who will be leading this country for the next five years. It will be recommendable for you to have some time to brace your mind and calmly deliberate before heading to the polling place. Once more, you need to thoroughly review your choice and decide whether or not it is from serious deliberation, in order not to regret it later.

A Presidential Election is not a selection of a country club leader and it is not a popularity vote for favorite entertainers. Whether you like or not, we must spend the next 5five years with the newly elected chief executive. Our country, society, workplace, and home will be subject to the influencing power of the new president and his administrative philosophy and styles.

Many political analysts view this election as a confrontation between different generations since relatively less regional confrontation has appeared during the race, unlike past presidential elections. However, when we go to the polling place, we should keep in mind the historical meaning of this election, while putting aside superficial political analysis. Since each candidate has been competing during the race with totally different political ideology and inclination, this election has a fundamental distinction from the so-called Three-Kims era, in which not much political difference among candidates appeared.

The vote could change our daily life, and if you carefully recall past TV debates, each candidate's campaign, and the daily news, it won't be too difficult to predict what kind of new world we are to live in depending on your choice. Before heading to the polling station, you had better draw that new world in your mind at least once, and think that it is the right choice, as this is the only way to reduce the risk of regretting your choice later to the minimum. December 19, 2002