1. [Hearty Meals]
Gyeonggi Province has a plan to provide lunches for children from low-income households who might skip the mid-day meal since no school lunch is provided during vacation.
Facing the suspension of school meal service during the vacation, Gyeonggi Province announced that it would provide lunches to children from low-income households over the winter break.
Gyeonggi province is going to provide lunches starting this month through the following February to children who have been chosen from a list of recipient families for basic livelihood security and the working class.
Although it is common to provide meals at a local child welfare center or social welfare center, for those in places where it is difficult to provide meals to large numbers of children, meal tickets will be distributed to be used at designated restaurants.
For those who avoid using the meal tickets at designated restaurants, specialized lunch enterprises and volunteers will deliver the meal directly to the kids’ homes.
The cost per meal would be at about 3500 won (about $ 3.9), for a quality meal that takes into consideration the nutrition and tastes of young children.

2. [The age of navigation]
The Yellow Sea coast is approved by Gyeonggi Province and South Chungcheong Province as a free trade zone. The government selected five zones including the ports of Pyeongtaek and Dangjin as free trade zones on December 21st.
On December 21st, the government selected 6,814 square meters of land in Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong as a free economic zone.
Gyeonggi province requested the central government to choose five regions including Pyeongtaek and Dangjin ports as part of the free trade zone, and pledged to do its best to develop the international competitiveness of Korea.
Accordingly, from 2008, Gyeonggi province will make regular development work; it will establish the Yellow Sea Free Trade Zone Authority, which will focus on concrete businesses with South Chungcheong province and choose an operator to formulate an actual plan.
By 2025, the two provinces will make up the hi-tech industrial production, international distribution, and tourism, and research complexes through three stages, with the investment totaling 699 billion 960 million won.
It is foreseen that the Korean economy would be stimulated as a result of the changes in physical distribution, international finance, and business oriented zones to a knowledge-establishing free economic zone and will specialize in Korea’s next high-tech industry,

3. [Conscription Exams]
Most students who have taken the college entrance exam this year will be eligible for conscription starting next year, and they will be able to choose the day they want to take the physical exam on the internet.
The Incheon Gyeonggi Regional Military Manpower Administration clarified it would accept applications including the selection of dates and locations by 2008 applicants through its website starting December 26th.
Up until now, the Regional Office of Military Manpower Administration held the jurisdiction over appointment dates for 19 year-old men every year. From last year, however, the applicants were able to choose a date and location of their own through the internet.
Moreover, through this new policy, the applicants are able to choose a place more convenient for them rather than the location based on their permanent address.

I think it is good to be allowed to choose my physical exam date. That way, it won’t affect my class schedule.

2008 physical exams will start from February 14 and applicants could apply a up to a day before they plan to take the exam within the military manpower administration’s exam periods.
However, for those who did not select a date and a location for themselves, the chief of the Regional Office of Military Manpower Administration will select a date and send a notification by mail.

4. [New Goodwill Ambassador]
Se Chang Lee, a TV celebrity, was appointed as the goodwill ambassador for Gyeonggi province. The ceremony was held in the afternoon.
Se Chang Lee, who is well known, both as TV celebrity and a race car driver, was appointed the goodwill ambassador for Gyeonggi province.
Although Lee is not from Gyeonggi, originally, he has been living in Gyeonggi for a long time and actively worked as manager of the Yongin race car team and as a professional driving school instructor. Therefore he was selected to become the face of the province.
Mun Soo Kim, the governor of Gyeonggi, conferred the entrusting plate and requested Lee to put forth a lot of effort for the benefit of the province.
Lee will participate in various activities relating to the provincial office and traffic safety for the next two years.

I will do my best to be a help to the province and let people know the role of a resident.
The singers In Suni and Jang Yoon Jeong, and Jang Mi Ran, a weightlifter, will also take an active part as goodwill ambassadors for Gyeonggi.

5. [Books of Hope]
Woongjin Thinkbig donated about seventy thousand books to the province. Gyeonggi has recently requested local companies actively participate in donations. Woongjin certainly has played its part.
On December 24th, there was a hope-sharing book donation ceremony. Woongjin Thinkbig, a book production company, decided to donate books for low-income individuals.
This donation worth 208 million won includes not only Woongjin’s novels and children’s books but also twenty-thousand children’s book and fifty-thousand adult books of various publishers.
Gyeonggi province is going to give out the books to schools and libraries in places that need it the most, low income households, and prisons.

Gyeonggi has worked to connect Woongjin’s desire to help, with regions within the province that could use the help.

Gyeonggi will continue to encourage local companies and enterprises to participate in donation activities.

6. [Attracting Law Schools!]
Gyeonggi province has stood up to the central government criticizing the allotment system and again demanded a law school allocation to Gyeonggi province.
On December 26, Gyeonggi province held a symposium on the topic of why law schools are necessary.
The participants of the symposium collected various opinions insisting the central government allocate a law school in Gyeonggi province.
Professors who came up to announce the topic pointed out that the current allocation method which is divided in to 5 sections according to the Supreme Court jurisdiction does not apply.
Furthermore, they emphasized the necessity of an allocation in order to train professional lawyers that meet local needs and to create an independent law culture within the province.
Gyeonggi will continue to clarify its standpoint regarding law schools to establish clear aims on the subject.

7. [Rational Water Rates]
Korea was classified as a country lacking proper water resources by Population Action International. The main cause of over consumption is the below-prime water rate. For this reason, Gyeonggi announced a price hike for water rates.
The water rates in Korea are the lowest out of OECD countries; with inexpensive water prices causing habitual water over consumption.
Moreover the water cost is only 86.5% of the cost of production and is increasing the tax incidence.
Therefore Gyeonggi Province is going to rationalize the water rate from 2008.
Additionally, Gyeonggi province will stop funding government subsidies but choose a number of cities and districts through evaluation, and will provide.