With 11 years of history, Gyeonggi Province’s resident (“Dream Tree”) reporters were newly launched under the name of ‘Opportunity Reporters’ with the purpose of ‘finding and covering opportunities throughout Gyeonggi Province.’

On February 20, Gyeonggi Province held a launching ceremony under the theme of ‘Ask the Governor’ at Dodamso (former gubernatorial residence) with the participation of 48 members of the Gyeonggi Opportunity Reporters Group, including Gyeonggi resident reporters and Dream Tree reporters, as well as Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong Yeon Kim.

The Opportunity Reporter Corps consists of a total of 250 people, including the “Gyeonggi Resident Reporters Corps” (made up of teens, college students, and the general public), and the “Gyeonggi Young Reporter Corps” (which includes children aged 11 to 13). Gyeonggi Province launched the newly renamed Opportunity Reporter Corps by integrating existing Dream Tree reporters and Gyeonggi resident (youth, college student, and senior) reporters and tasking them with the discovery and promotion of various opportunities hidden throughout Gyeonggi Province, the “capital of opportunity.”

This year, they will cover the values of Gyeonggi Province (including its major policies and local news), produce news content tailored to appeal to various age groups, and share that content through Gyeonggi’s official blogs, Gyeonggi News Portal, and social media.

Governor Kim presented four representative reporters of Opportunity Reporter Corps, which includes children, teens, college students, and seniors, saying, “Thank you for participating in the Opportunity Reporter Corps that ranges from elementary school students to the general public,” and mentioned the importance of “curiosity,” “sensitivity,” and “drive.”

Governor Kim said, “I think curiosity is the driving force behind the development of individuals and Korea. I hope that you will not hide or suppress your curiosity, but rather express it. When I implement a policy, I always ask ‘Why am I doing this?’”

“Second, I want to talk about sensitivity to social issues and things happening around us. Sustainable development seems to be built up by thinking sensitively and responding to various problems around you. Thirdly, I hope that young students and young adults will constantly be motivated,” he added.

“If you work as a reporter with these three approaches, I think it will help the people of Gyeonggi and help you develop yourself… I hope that Gyeonggi Province will be able to provide many opportunities to the people of Gyeonggi. It would be ideal if you freely give your opinions to create these kinds of opportunities, and if you first present the problems we need to solve when you see them with your own eyes,” he emphasized.

The following question-and-answer session was conducted in a free atmosphere without any prepared questions or scripts.

Reporter Oh Yu-ju, an elementary school student from Yangju City, said, “It feels like communication is cut off in northern Gyeonggi, and there is a lack of spaces to experience art and culture. It would be nice if the harmony of nature, history and art unfolds as a road of opportunity in northern Gyeonggi.”

“I said that I would create a self-governing northern province; this was not just an election slogan, but a belief derived from the experiences I had while running the Korean economy for a long time…The northern part of Gyeonggi has a population of 3.6 million and a well-preserved natural environment, so I want to work hard to develop the region and hope that reporters who are particularly interested in the region will accompany me when they go to northern Gyeonggi,” he said in response.

Reporter Kim Da-yeol, who identified himself as an out-of-school youth, inquired, “Currently, the Democratic Party and the People’s Power Party have the same number of seats in the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly, but I am curious about further efforts to be made in the future.” He also expressed his hope that “there will be more opportunities for out-of-school youths.”

Governor Kim said, “The first thing we need in order to govern is sincerity. We must not live according to the logic of political factions or ideologies, but instead work selflessly for Gyeonggi and the people of the province. The second thing we need are visions and policies that transcend ruling and opposition parties. Even if it is an opposition party, I need the skills to secure their agreement with the visions I propose, and the mindset that can be made into policies. Lastly, the real ability to put this into practice is important,” he answered to the first question. Then, responding to the second question, he said, “Out-of-school youths are an issue I am paying attention to and I promise to provide many opportunities.”

In response to the question “If you go back to the past and live as an elementary school student, what kind of work would you like to do and who would you like to meet?” he said that his father was very strict, so he was always under pressure to study. At the same time, he also expressed his longing for his father, saying, “The person I most want to meet is my father, who passed away when I was in the 6th grade of elementary school.”

Governor Kim had time to communicate casually with the reporters through various questions and answers, such as those regarding the progress of pledges relating to an airbase and how he felt when he was elected Governor of Gyeonggi Province.