Global Gyeonggi Province to Increase Aid for Developing Countries
(Published July 03, 2012)

An additional KRW 200 million in foreign aid earmarked for Zimbabwe and two other countries
Since 2005, KRW 3.68 billion has been used to support 67 aid projects

◇ An aid project to improve drinking water on the outskirts of Ulan Bator ⓒ G-News Plus

Gyeonggi Province has expanded its overseas development assistance (ODA) work with three more projects, including the establishment of the Gyeonggi Hopeful Future Center for children and teenagers from vulnerable social groups in Zimbabwe.

At a meeting of the ODA Evaluation Committee on June 29, Gyeonggi Province elected to undertake three projects for this year’s second round of foreign aid. The projects include an educational environment aid project for ethnic minority children in Laos, the establishment of the Gyeonggi Hopeful Future Center for children and teenagers in vulnerable social groups in Zimbabwe, and the installation of IT equipment at the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia to support e-learning. Altogether, the province is planning to allocate KRW 200 billion in aid.

Each year, Gyeonggi Province provides foreign aid to developing countries that are still suffering from poverty and economic difficulties. Already this year, the province has spent KRW 450 million on nine projects including the construction of a library in Mongolia at the beginning of the year.

This latest round of funding will be the first time that aid specifically targeting the development of infrastructure has been offered to the African country of Zimbabwe, which had previously been excluded from the funding selection process due to the physical distance and the difficulty of carrying out work on site. In addition, Gyeonggi Province and the National Information Society Agency, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, will provide support for IT equipment and education to the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

Already the country’s largest self-governing region, the province is taking a more active role in Korea’s foreign aid policy by increasing foreign aid to less-developed countries. It is only appropriate for a province with the slogan “Global Inspiration” to be involved in raising awareness of the pressing need for humanitarian aid to eliminate poverty and support the establishment of economic infrastructure to promote growth in developing countries all over the world.

“Gyeonggi Province intends to continue its international aid efforts in developing countries in accordance with its slogan of ‘Global Inspiration,’” said Song Yu-myeon, Director of the Gyeonggi Province International Affairs & Trade Division. “While we have focused on aid for countries in Asia in the past, we are looking to bring even more aid to disadvantaged places by expanding into Africa and South America.”

This international aid is intended to facilitate the implementation of humanitarian ideals, to enable the continued development of struggling countries, and to promote friendship and cooperation between Korea and the recipient countries.

Gyeonggi Province first provided aid for disaster relief in 2003 and has been offering it on a yearly basis since 2005. At the beginning of this year, the province provided KRW 446 million in aid to nine projects in eight countries. These projects included the construction of a Hope Library in Mongolia and the construction of public toilets and hygiene training in Nepal. Including this year’s projects, the province will have provided KRW 3.68 billion in funding for a total of 67 projects.
◇ An instructor visiting Indonesia teaches female public servants about online business. ⓒ G-News Plus

ⓒ G-News Plus | Chun Gyeong-nam chun0403@kg21.net

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