-It is expected that world-class, hi-tech businesses will confirm their plan to invest a total of $400 million soon. 

– Gyeonggi Province Governor Sohn Hak-gyu has embarked on another business-related world tour, this time to Europe, after to Japan in February and May, and to the U.S. in April. 

– The Gyeonggi Provincial Office said that its 20-member delegation headed by the governor would leave for Germany and France on July 4 on a four-day schedule in connection with the effort to attract investment from hi-tech business of those countries. 

– The delegation is scheduled to make investment agreements with eight (in Germany, France, Switzerland, U.K. and Denmark) of the 11 businesses it will have meetings with this time. 

– Those with which the delegation will make contracts with this time include three hi-tech automotive parts manufacturers, two LCD businesses, two IT businesses and one business specializing in R&D. They are scheduled to enter facilities in foreign investment zones in Poseung, Hyeongok and Geumeui, whose construction work will start this year, with commercial operation scheduled to commence in mid-2005. 

– It is known that the total investment amount will come to $400 million, with some of the projects being of mammoth scale, though both sides keep their mouth shut about details according to the mutual promise not to disclose details until the last moment. 

– The delegation plans to make substantial progress from negotiations with European businesses for establishment of additional (perhaps three) manufacturing or research facilities, including building a bioscience research institute in Pangyo or Suwon, aside from the contracts to be made. 

– The visiting schedule has been cut short from the original one for seven days in consideration of the governor’s busy timetable, including taking up measures for flood victims. 

– The provincial office’s successful efforts for attraction of investment from world-class businesses have become the focus of attention for those interested.