The presidential election of Korea is over. During the campaign, I would often read internet bulletin board posts from newspaper readers. It always made me feel uncomfortable. Posters were extremely negative, calling the opposing party’s candidate names, that he was a bastard, traitor, commie etc. Regardless of who won, I worried that with such a negative attitude, a big problem was brewing.
Then on December 14, approximately one week before the election, I read an article in the Korean Daily Newspaper by a columnist named Mr. Yuk Kil Won. Reading it was like finding an oasis in the middle of a desert. Here is a small portion.
“Let’s look at the majority party candidate Mr. Lee H.C. His reputation as Mr. Clean or Mr. Straight shows he could have already been president. Also, his rise as the leader of the Majority Party after only five years in the political arena clearly shows his leadership capabilities. His goal to build the cleanest government in the history of Korea is very trustworthy. His promise to disclose his personal financial statement after the election is also highly commendable. We should applaud his goal to eliminate corruption from our unjust government and together build a clean, just, and strong country.
“How about Mr. Roh M.H, the candidate of the minority party? Regardless of what anyone might say, we must give him credit for moving the political atmosphere to the next level. He is a self made man. Though only a high school graduate, he was determined to succeed and overcame many hardships. He is a very gutsy leader who has proven that he can unite his political party through many crises. He has shown that he does not conform to the current politics and that he is truly a commoner’s politician. It took courage for him to announce that even the media must be a target for reformation. Although he is originally from Pusan, he has gained support from Kwangju, historically on the opposing political side. This shows that he can be a catalyst for changing the damaging deep-rooted provincial prejudice among Koreans and unite the country.”
The title of this article was “How to make a better president”. The author closed by showing that, despite all the negativity, Korea really had two excellent presidential candidates. The choice before the country was deciding which would make the more excellent president.
I do not know if the author is a Christian. But his point of view is certainly God’s. Seeing the good rather than the bad, seeing what we can do more than what we cannot do is God’s point of view. As Christians, we must all share this point of view.
Korean voters have decided that Mr. Roh is the better candidate and that he will make a better president. I hope that he will be a president who leads Korea and builds a just, compassionate, and prosperous nation.
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