– Top 10 news items of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government in 2008
– In the year 2008, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government focused on measures and policies to help average people through initiatives such as Limitless Care for Homes in Crisis, Children Assurance School, and the Integrated Fare System for Public Transportation
– The easing of regulations in the metropolitan area stands out among the government¢®?s many achievements

The year 2008 was a time when the desire of all Koreans was to “stimulate the economy.” Many people believe that the current economic crisis, which is commonly regarded as even more severe than the 1997 Asian financial crisis, has only just begun, and that next year will be even more difficult. The outlook of ordinary people can be described as “extremely pessimistic.”

During 2008, the 4th popularly-elected government in Gyeonggi Province pursued unprecedented measures to stimulate the economy in order to help average people to overcome their difficulties. The province gave hope to households in crisis through the “Limitless Care for Homes in Crisis” project, and helped in the education of children from low- and double-income households through a new system referred to as the Children Assurance School. Furthermore, 2008 will be remembered as a meaningful year in which numerous regulations governing the metropolitan area, including Gyeonggi Province, were eased. The government of Gyeonggi Province, which has been pursuing continuous efforts to ease regulations in the metropolitan area since its inauguration, is now shifting its efforts to attract investment from companies who can now run businesses under eased regulations.

The following are the top 10 stories of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government in 2008:

1. Impregnable Barriers and Regulations Break Down
– Korean government announces policies to improve regulations in the metropolitan area

It is believed that the year 2008 will be remembered as the most meaningful year in the history of Gyeonggi Province. The regulations governing the metropolitan area, which had remained in place for almost 40 years, leading people to consider them an impregnable fortress, were finally eased. Since the inauguration of the 4th popularly-elected government, Gyeonggi Province has made the reformation of regulations governing the metropolitan area its top priority. To this end, Gyeonggi Province focused on making its case to the Blue House, the National Assembly, and central government ministries and departments by submitting 225 proposals in 99 attempts over the last two years.

As a result of these efforts, the government has implemented policies to ease regulations in the Military Facilities Protection Area, the Paldang Drinking Water Protection Districts, and the Greenbelt Area since early this year, and on October 30, announced a comprehensive plan to ease regulations governing the metropolitan area. Based on the comprehensive plan, it is now possible for large companies to expand and move new facilities into industrial complexes in the metropolitan area, increase facilities for 96 state-of-the-art industries, and establish tourism complexes and large-scale buildings within the Environmental Protection District.

Concurrently, to ensure that the eased regulations attract corporate investment, Gyeonggi Province is encouraging companies to invest through various efforts including the holding of promotional sessions targeting foreign companies, conducting a complete survey on investment to companies operating within the province, and operating an Eased Regulation Consultation Office.

2. Gyeonggi Province Extends a Helping Hand to Homes in Crisis
– Implements project to offer help to homes in crisis

In November, Gyeonggi Province implemented the “Limitless Care for Homes in Crisis” Project, a financial support measure for households at the regional government level. The project offers financial aid, including living expenses, rent, medical expenses, education expenses, and welfare facility charges, to households that face financial difficulties but do not meet the criteria set by existing laws or ordinances for support, despite their obvious hardship.

The project is named “Limitless Care for Homes in Crisis” to express the intention of the province to take an interest and provide care to such homes until the crisis is resolved. The project is not a uniform support measure that is implemented according to standard rules, but rather, is an initiative that differs from other support measures, as it provides support that is tailored to each home by investigating each individual case.

The project has met with a great response. In just one month since its implementation, about 7,245 calls and consultations have been made. Gyeonggi Province decided to provide support to 1,044 households out of the total of 1,510 households that applied. Approximately KRW 666 million has been provided to 772 households already. For households that need medical help, funding will be provided after they receive treatment. With the number of households facing difficulties increasing rapidly due to the spread of the economic crisis, Gyeonggi Province increased the 2009 budget for the project from KRW 20 billion to KRW 31.5 billion. Next year, about 14,000 people are expected to be beneficiaries of the project.

3. “Super School” Established to Help Children from Low- and Double-Income Households
– Children Assurance School launched to play the role of school, tutorial institute, and home

A “super school” that plays the role of a school, tutorial institute, and home has been launched. In September, Gyeonggi Province opened the Children Assurance School (“Kkumnamu Assurance School” in Korean) in 20 elementary schools within the province. Under the program, the school takes care of children from low- and double-income households after class until late at night.

The Children Assurance School provides children with meals and various after-school activities from the end of class until 9:00 p.m. The services are provided by day-care center teachers and teachers, who are specially recruited by the school to nurture the talents and aptitudes of students. Even after 9 o’clock, when the Children Assurance School closes, children who have no family to take care of them can receive temporary care from a designated “Children’s Place” in nearby welfare centers and nursery homes until they go back to school the next day. All activities are free of charge, except for some educational programs.

The creation of the Children Assurance School was motivated in part by the kidnapping and murder of two girls, Hyejin and Yeseul, in Anyang earlier this year, a tragedy that shocked the nation. In April, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo mentioned his vision for the establishment of the Children Assurance School, saying, “As we learned from the case of Hyejin and Yeseul earlier this year, children from double-income households have no one to look after them after school. We need schools that can take care of these children around the clock.”

The idea met with a warm response from residents of the province. Kim Eun-young (33, Gwangmyeong City), who sends her child to Gwangmyeong Elementary School said, “I welcome the establishment of this school, as it helps me to reduce my private education expense. Now, my child does not have to go to a tutorial school, because the Children Assurance School offers a wide range of educational programs that are tailored to the aptitudes and the special skills of the students. My child really likes the school, as she can play and share time with her friends.”

Gyeonggi Province operates about 30 classes, one to three classes per school in ten cities in the province, including Suwon, Siheung, Seongnam, Bucheon, and Ansan, and plans to increase the number to 30 schools in 20 cities.

4. Adding Wings to the Feet of Gyeonggi Residents
– Integrated Fare System for Public Transportation expanded in scope to include Reserved Seat Buses
– Newly launched Trunk Line Express Bus routes bringing great benefits to riders

The Integrated Fare System for Public Transportation in the Seoul Metropolitan Area was launched July 2007. It was hailed as the greatest feat of the 4th popularly-elected government, but nevertheless, the system had one shortcoming –670,000 Reserved Seat Bus riders per day did not benefit from transfer discounts, which are the discounts given to passengers who transfer from one bus to another, or from subway to bus, and vice versa. In September, Gyeonggi Province and the Seoul Metropolitan Government reached an agreement to expand the scope of the Integrated Fare System for Public Transportation in the Seoul Metropolitan Area to include Reserved Seat Buses. This is an additional agreement made in the 14 months since the initial launch of the Integrated Fare System, and represents the full implementation of the system.

With transfer discounts offered to riders of Reserved Seat Buses, it has metaphorically added “wings” to the feet of provincial residents who use public transportation. In fact, positive results have been brought about since the new changes were implemented, as the use of public transportation has increased while the use of cars has declined. In an analysis of transportation card usage conducted by Gyeonggi Province in the week prior to the expansion in the scope of transfer discounts (September 1 to 7) and again three weeks after its implementation (September 20 to October 10), the total number of Gyeonggi bus riders, including those using Reserved Seat Buses, increased by 1.3% or 48,000 riders per day, whereas the number of cars coming in and out of Gyeonggi Province to Seoul, or vice versa, decreased by 1.3%, or 38,000 cars per day on average. The number of bus riders increased dramatically, from a daily average of 1 million riders before the new changes, to 1.25 million in the early stages of their implementation and to 1.265 million in November. In addition, a survey of provincial residents showed that 95% of respondents were satisfied with the expanded benefits.

Concurrently, the 15 routes of the Trunk Line Express Bus (Buses with numbers starting with 8000) in Seongnam and Paju, which began offering the expanded transfer discounts at the same time, helped riders to shorten their commute time to Seoul by an average of 25 minutes compared to the existing bus lines. Based on these positive outcomes, Gyeonggi Province plans to increase the use of the Trunk Line Express Buses in seven areas, including Namyangju, next year. The province also has plans to expand the number of express night buses connecting downtown Seoul and the greater metropolitan area for commuters who work until late at night in order to lessen their transportation costs.

5. Eliminate the Dead Zone of Arson
– Gyeonggi Province establishes One City (County)-One Fire Department System for the first time in Korea

On July 24, 2008, a historic opening ceremony was held for the Yangju Fire Department located in Baekseok-eup, Yangju City, Gyeonggi Province. The occasion was important as it was the moment at which Yangju City, the only city of the 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi that lacked a fire department, finally got one.

Governor Kim Moon-soo, who opened the Uiwang Fire Department in his first year as Gyeonggi Governor, made Gyeonggi Province the first regional government in Korea to adopt the One City (County)-One Fire Department System by opening the Gapyeong Fire Department in February, the Hwaseong Fire Department in May, and the Yeoncheon Fire Department in June. With his commitment, Governor Kim Moon-soo, who has stressed that the top priority of the administration should be the protection of lives and assets of residents of the province, achieved this grand feat in just two years since taking office. Even officials in the fire department predicted that it would be hard to find another example of so many fire departments being launched in such a short period of time.

With the elimination of “dead zones,” which are zones that are vulnerable to fires and disasters due to a lack of district fire departments, residents of the province are now better protected against the threat of fire and disaster. Previously, Gapyeong was under the jurisdiction of the Namyangju Fire Department, Yeoncheon under the Dongducheon Fire Department, Yangju under the Uijeongbu Fire Department, and Hwaseong under the Osan Fire Department, and this was highlighted by many as the reason why the authority was unable to respond swiftly to outbreaks of fire.