1. [Led by Blood Donations]

For the first time in the country a law was enacted in Gyeonggi to encourage blood donations.

Gyeonggi provincial assemblymen put into practice reaching out to neighbors through blood donations.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly announced a \’Gyeonggi Province Blood Donation Encouragement Law\’ to carry out a blood drive for the first time in the country with assemblymen and civil servants in the province donating.

1) s- Korea\’s first \’Blood Donation Encouragement Law\’ enacted

2)
{Not only will the law be passed but through the blood drive awareness for donating blood will be sparked based on our participation.}

According to the blood donation law
groups that volunteer in blood drives will receive
an expenses account and activity funds.

3) s- Aid for groups volunteering in blood drive

The Korean National Red Cross, which in the past few years has seen dwindling numbers of people donating blood and faced with snags in the supply of blood, sees this new law as an opportunity for many to donate blood.

4)
{With the Gyeonggi law increasing blood donations being passed we expect Gyeonggi to be a role model for the other provinces active participation in the blood donation movement.}

If the blood donation mood is to be created with assemblymen taking the lead, it will create to more interest and encourage participation on residents\’ behalf and seems that more lives can be saved as a result.

2. [Plan for More Houses]

This year Gyeonggi Province has decided to add 150,000 homes. Also, the sale of the first homes for the Gwanggyo New Town will begin this September.

Gyeonggi Province has posted its general housing plan.

Most of the homes this year are apartments including 42,000 rental units and 114,000 units for sale.

1) s- Gyeonggi Province supplies 150,000 homes

The apartments for sale supplied by the Gyeonggi Urban Innovation Corporation and other public agencies total 31,000, with 8,300 being supplied by private companies.

With the stagnation in real estate Gyeonggi Province has reduced the amount of houses by 20% over the last year, but according to the real estate market situation there is a possibility for change.

Further, sales for the Gwanggyo New Town apartments under construction to be completed by 2013 will begin from this September.

2) s- Gwanggyo New Town 1188 units for sale from this September

The Gwanggyo New Town will supply 31,000 apartments in the order they are completed by 2011.

3) s- Gwanggyo New Town to focus on supply by 2010

3. [Child Protection Seminar]

Korean and Japanese experts gathered to discuss proposals that can prevent sex crimes targeting children.

On the 15th a Korean, Japanese International Seminar was held for the prevention of sex crimes towards children.

1) s- International Seminar to prevent sex crimes towards children.

The seminar under the theme of how Gyeonggi Province can protect children was attended by experts from both Korea and Japan seeking for management policies on the regional level.

In the past ten years since 1996 Japan has had nearly 400,000 cases of sex crimes targeting children and has entrusted retired police officers as school supporters
making patrols with volunteers and canine units as a policy for prevention.

2) s- Japan, 400,000 cases of sex crimes towards children in 10 years

Sex crimes towards children 13 and under have increased by 68.4% in the past 4 years since 2003.

-CG-
{Sex crimes towards children 13 and under have increased by 68.4% in the past 4 years since 2003.} Source: Cyber Police Agency

The cases occurring in Gyeonggi Province alone last year stood at 385, which represents about 35% of all cases in Korea.

As a prevention policy for crimes towards children last April the mother\’s police force, Mommy Cops were introduced as a trial that will play the role of a family member in schools, academies, and multi-functional schools from this autumn

3) s- Multi-functional schools trial run

4.[Library Rally Held]

For the first time this year Gyeonggi Province held a library rally for the reformation of the entire mood towards libraries and for the stimulation of a book culture.

On the 16th Gyeonggi held the 1st Gyeonggi Province Library Rally to find the role and direction of development for libraries.

1)s- The 1st Gyeonggi Province Library Rally, Paju Publishing City Asia Publishing Culture Information Center (July 16th)

At the rally, development and cooperative proposals for each library, including the expansion of public libraries were presented.

To achieve this Gyeonggi Province will invest $217.2 million to establish 33 public libraries, and will provide up to $49,370 to existing libraries to purchase books.

2)s-Plan to establish 33 public libraries

Meanwhile, on this day, Gyeonggi Province concluded a memorandum of understanding in support of knowledge information for the less fortunate and books for members of the multi-cultural community.

3)s-MOU for knowledge information for the less fortunate, and book support

Accordingly, by 2010 the province plans to operate 100 small libraries in neighborhoods without, and launch library related projects to expand upon libraries throughout the year.

4)s-By 2010 100 small libraries will be in operation

Gyeonggi Province hopes the library rally that is planned to be held every year will contribute to the stimulation of a reading culture.

5.[Popular Environment Doctor System]

Pollutants such as polluting gas and waste water are emitted from manufacturing businesses. Thankfully, Gyeonggi Province runs a program that offers free environmental technology guidance to plants in the province gaining popularity among small and medium businesses.

The environment doctor system has been in operation since 2000.

1)s-Environment Doctor System: a project that provides free support from experts in environment technology to small and medium businesses facing difficulty with environmental problems including air and water pollution.

The 50 environment technology experts have provided free environment technology guidance to the nearly 2500 plants they visited.

2)s-
{We are looking for what kinds of problems exist, what has been neglected, and what can be managed more effectively, diagnose and inform, then work together to conduct research and offer guidance.

These experts carry out their technical guidance in teams of 3
checking everywhere in the plant as well as the environmental facilities
while carefully reviewing the amount of work written up sparing nothing in advice
about what steps to take.

sync-
{First of all I would like to see more ventillation. Second, it would be nice if the hydrochloric acid and nitric acid gas were prevented from leaking inside by covering with tarp.}

The business people that were once worried about something being pointed out seem satisfied, a big difference than before.

3)s-
{There were many cases when we weren\’t sure how to improve but the proposals they offered to those situations have been a great help.}

The environment doctor system seems to be helping small and medium businesses, protecting the environment, and creating a business friendly environment.

6. [Energy Savings Policy]

Gyeonggi Province and affiliated public organizations have initiated energy savings.

This is the Gyeonggi Provincial office building.
The corridors are dark because the lights are turned off, and the elevator has been shut off as well.

Despite the hot weather the indoor temperature is maintained between 27 and 28 degrees.

The parking lot is just half full thanks to the usage of public organization vehicles being limited depending on whether the last digit of the license plate is odd or even.

1)s- Public Organizations\’ vehicle usage limited

Likewise, Gyeonggi Province has carried out highly efficient energy savings policies like only using half its fleet, and limiting usage based on the last digit of the license plate being odd or even.

2)s-Highly efficient energy savings policies introduced

3)
(Due to high oil costs half of our society is facing hardship. To create an atmosphere of energy savings we have introduced an energy savings policy, and plan to reduce consumer energy in the public sector by about 10%.)

This sort of energy savings policy is intended to be carried out in all places of business, and affiliated organizations in the city, and province as well as all public organizations.

4)s- To be carried out in all public organizations

In the private sector as an energy savings policy
there are aims to carry out a self-imposed system limiting passenger car usage to certain days depending on the last digit of one\’s license plate, and maintaining an appropriate temperature indoors through PR and advice.

5)s-Private Sector, Energy Savings PR and advice.

7. [The Bus Just Got Faster]

From the 1st, the weekday bus only lane system on a section of the Gyeongbu Expressway was introduced, let\’s take a look at some of the changes.

After beginning the bus only lane system
the monitoring results after just one week show
the bus travel speed has picked up, and travel time has shortened.

1)s-Bus travel speed increased, travel time down

In case of the 5500 bus that travels between Gyeonggi University and Gwanghwamun, the travel time has been shortened by 25 minutes, and the number of travellers has increased by 5%.

2)
(After the system was introduced the trip that used to take one hour has been reduced to about 30 minutes adding to the convenience.)

However, the travel time of passenger cars seems to have increased with the travel speed slowing.

3)s-Travel speed for passenger cars lengthens, speed slows

While the speed of traffic in the passenger vehicle lanes has been reduced
it has been found that the number of cars abusing the bus only lanes total 800 per day.

4)
(There are rather a lot of cars cutting in. This increases the likelihood for an accident so I wish there were a little more strict about this.)

In the future, Gyeonggi Province has a plan to cooperate with Seoul and the Korea Highway Corporation to find a solution to widen the road and secure the shoulder.

5)s-Plan to widen road and for improvements