[GYEONGGI PROVINCE/HERALD INTERVIEW]Governor Kim promises investor-friendly environment

New Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo, 55, is a former labor and democracy activist. During the authoritarian rule of the 1970s and 1980s, Kim fought against military dictatorship and worked at factories to protect workers’ rights. He was interrogated, tortured and imprisoned for his pro-democracy and labor activities.
But after witnessing the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in the 1990s, Kim realized the limitations of socialism and recognized that an open market economy was essential in propelling Korea’s development and maintaining democracy.
He became a politician and was first elected to the National Assembly in 1996 in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. Kim pushed for various reform measures in the Assembly, earning the honor of best lawmaker as voted by civic groups.
This year, he started to embody a new vision as governor – to develop Gyeonggi Province as a leading global center for both conventional and knowledge-based industries.
The Korea Herald interviewed him to find out more about his vision to develop the province.

Q: Your predecessor Sohn Hak-kyu spearheaded efforts to attract foreign investment in the province. What is your strategy?

A: Our province’s know-how in attracting foreign investment is the best in the nation. Former Governor Sohn focused on attracting investment from the manufacturing sector. But in my four-year term, I will seek diverse investments from SOC, logistics, digital cultural content, aerospace, medical, education and tourism industries. I have already appointed a former executive from Samsung Group as a foreign investment coordinator, to learn about the civilian sector. Our local government has also formed a 20-member advisory group to effectively promote foreign investment.

Q: What are your government’s strategies to provide foreign companies in the province with a good investment climate?

A: We created a team to oversee investment environment in February. Our local government is the first to have such an organization in Korea. We opened a center to support foreign companies in the Hyeongok industrial park in Pyeongtaek in April. We also visit the companies to find out what they need and want. We are improving the investment environment by allowing new bus routes linking industrial complexes in Hyeongok and Eoyeon-Hansan with metropolitan Seoul, and running Korean, English and Japanese language programs for employees in foreign companies.
On Oct. 24, we also established the Gyeonggi Association of Foreign-Invested Companies to help them form mutual networks and promote friendship among CEOs. We will continue to provide a more investment-friendly environment through easing restrictions on factory buildings in Gyeonggi Province and expanding leased foreign investment zones.

Q: What measures will your local government take to make life easier for foreigners living in the province?

A: One of the complaints foreign executives and workers have made is about education for their children. In response to this, our government opened Gyeonggi Suwon International School on Sept. 21. Another foreign school will be established in Peace City to be built in Pyeongtaek. To provide foreigners with better medical services, our government teamed with Ajou University Hospital and Uijeongbu Catholic Hospital to install 24-hour medical support centers for them. In addition, we are distributing biweekly newsletters in Korean, English and Japanese, which contain information related to life in Korea.

Q: What is your view on labor-management relations? How will your local government respond to labor disputes in the workplaces of foreign companies?

A: I know that foreign investors are concerned about Korea’s labor-management relations. But they do not need to worry as there has been no labor disputes so far regarding foreign companies in Gyeonggi Province. If by chance some problems occur, we will exert all our efforts to adopt a cooperative and win-win global standard in labor coulture so that labor-management relations remain on track. In the future, Gyeonggi Province will continue to map out measures to make labor-management relations in foreign companies cooperative and harmonious.

Q: As shown in the case of Hynix, heavy restrictions on the development of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province have been stumbling blocks to attracting foreign investment. How will you respond to this matter?

A: Hosting foreign companies in the country has two great advantages – bringing advanced technology and creating more jobs. Accordingly, restrictions on Seoul – Korea’s economic center – should be eased. The central government is considering allowing the construction of new and additional factories for four companies – Hyundai Steel, Pantech, KCC and Hanmi Pharm. Co. I am hoping that the additional construction of a factory by Hynix Semiconductor Ltd. will get approval soon. The project will cost 13.5 trillion won ($14.5 billion) and lead to the creation of 6,000 jobs, helping revitalize the local economy.

Q: What are your government’s future plans on foreign investment?

A: The first foreign investment agreement our government concluded after I took office as governor was the Sept. 20 agreement made with Kimberly-Clark in the United States to build an Innovation Center in Yongin. It bears significance in that the center will be the first overseas R&D institute for the multinational, which hires more than 57,000 people in 37 workplaces in the world.
Our government also yesterday concluded an investment agreement with KL, Fenix, a U.S. company manufacturing LCD and PDP displays, to establish its factory and an R&D center in the province.
I will be visiting Japan from Nov. 5 to Nov. 9 to discuss Japanese investment in the province. This year, we are planning to attract a total of $640 million from 22 foreign companies and to hold ground-breaking or dedication ceremonies for Eugene Science, Asppec, Mitsui Metal and Tokyo Electron.

(Source: www.koreaherald.co.kr)