From Sang-jong Lee and Chang-jong Lee, Seong-ho Kim went on to the Blue House, and spoke a while with Presidential Chief of Staff Jeong-do Mun before going into the President's office.

"What is this administration's next objective?"

"We mean to attempt the Korea–U.S. FTA you spoke of."

"The Korea–U.S. FTA?"

Seong-ho Kim paused a moment, and his past life came back to him.

Then, shaking his head slowly, he said,

"It will not be an easy fight."

"We know it. It is a decision that may shake the whole root of our politics, and the President thought long over it."

"The opposition within the party will be severe."

"We are prepared for it."

Jeong-do Mun looked to have made up his mind already, and Seong-ho Kim nodded.

"When time has passed, a great many people will come to know that the President made a great decision for the Republic of Korea."

"He said they need not know. That a decision for the good of the Republic of Korea must of course be made. That he became President in order to do such things, and that to know it and not do it would be a dereliction of duty. Only…"

Chief of Staff Jeong-do Mun stopped a moment.

He had said to President Min-gu Noh what Seong-ho Kim had just said to him.

Because it was a decision that could not fail to cause worry.

But Min-gu Noh had not wavered.

It was a matter to shake the very supporters who had pushed him into the presidency. But the office was not an office for supporters alone.

And so, without a moment's hesitation, he had given the instruction: the Korea–U.S. FTA was to be the next objective.

That is not to say that nothing worried him.

"He was troubled that it lays a great burden on the next President."

"So it does. FTA negotiations are not finished in a year or two, and the burden will reach into the next administration."

"The President has set himself to settling as much of the important business as he can within his own term,…