Greetings and salutations, everyone! Thank you for joining us for this week’s edition of GTV.
I’m Don Valiant and this is the news from Gyeonggi Province this week.

Article 1. 315th Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Regular Session Closes (161219-1)
[Anchor’s Headline] On December 16, the 315th Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly regular session ended with the sixth general meeting. This final session of the year saw the clearance of a number of important issues including the passage of next year’s provincial budget.

▶ Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly (December 16)
6th General Meeting of 315th Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Regular Session
The final day of the session saw the passage of forty items.
▶ Lee Yeong-hui / Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Member (Saenuri Party)
“There is a necessity for the establishment of a hospital for fire officials as well as for the development of services that are customized for their job types to them relieve job-related stress…”
During the meeting, a provincial assembly member urged the establishment of a hospital exclusively for fire officials.
▶ Ordinance for School Meal Support Passed
The passage of an ordinance for school meal support was also one of the issues resolved during the session. Based on this ordinance, Gyeonggi Province will establish school meal support plans by July next year followed by related budget plans for the following year.
▶ Revised Ordinance for Provincial Railway Projects Passed
Another notable result from this regular session is the passage of a revised ordinance for provincial railway projects. This ordinance, which passed by unanimously, enables detailed urban railway projects to be completed in the year 2025.
▶ Cho Gwang-myung / Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Member (Minju Party)
“Six ordinances were passed as original drafts including an amendment ordinance for the improvement of transportation convenience for those with physical limitations proposed by…”
This regular session, which ran for 46 days, was the first in five years to have processed the subsequent year’s budget within the prescribed time limit.

Article 2. Gyeonggi Announces General Winter Contingency Measures (161219-2)
[Anchor’s Headline] Gyeonggi Province announced comprehensive measures with the aim of addressing possible winter disasters while helping those in difficult circumstances to get through the winter.

These measures focus on effective responses to heavy snow storms and fires as well as the protection of those vulnerable to the cold.
▶ Special Snow Removal Period until March
The period until March next year was designated for special snow removal work. More than 6,500 snowplows and trucks as well as more than 100,000 tons of deicing agents have already been secured and allocated to strategic locations.
▶ Increased Use of Snow Removal Equipment and Materials
The quantity of snow removal equipment and deicing agents to be used has increased significantly this year. Gyeonggi Province will also intensify fire prevention and safety inspections during the winter when fires occur twice as frequently as in the summer.
▶ Gil Yeong-gwan / Chief Official, Gyeonggi Province Disaster Prevention Team
“The number of fires increases as temperatures drop. We are distributing fire extinguishers and alarms while performing safety inspections in cooperation with the electricity and gas authorities, which will continue until February.”
[CG] For those living in inferior heating conditions, Gyeonggi Province will provide heating cost support of up to KRW 116,000 per person until April.
Families eligible for heating cost support include recipients of national basic livelihood benefits and medical cost benefits with family members of more than 65 years of age or less than 6 years of age as well as those who are pregnant or have disabilities. Gas billing and service suspension upon payment delinquency for these families will be deferred until May.
Solitary seniors will receive daily assistance during snow storms and extremely cold weather.

Article 3. Gyeonggi Supports Revival of Failed Business Startups (161219-3)
[Anchor’s Headline] Gyeonggi Province has been operating a special financial support program for those who have attempted to start their own businesses but failed. This program has proved successful in aiding the revival of such failed business startups.

▶ Baby Goods Manufacturing Enterprise, Paju City
When Ryu’s (류병무) baby goods manufacturing business failed and closed in 2006, his credit rating plummeted, and he has been unable to restart a business since all subsequent loan applications have been denied. However, he became the proud owner of design patents and is now on the road to success thanks to Gyeonggi Province’s Special Financial Benefit Program for Failed Businesses.
▶ Ryu Byeong-mu / Founder of Baby Goods Manufacturing Enterprise
“I am very pleased to finally be able to fund my business. This will enable something to happen next year that will surprise everyone.”

▶ Gyeonggi Province’s Special Financial Benefit Program for Failed Businesses
The Special Financial Benefit Program for Failed Businesses was launched in 2014 with the aim of providing another chance to those who had failed in their initial business startup attempts but still has high potential for revival. Each beneficiary is provided with financial support of up to KRW 100 million.
▶ Support of KRW 7.3 Billion Provided to 134 Enterprises
To date, more than 130 businesses have been revived with the help of this provincial support.
▶ Wu Byeong-bae / Chief Official, Gyeonggi Province Policy Funds Team
“We will provide failed business startups with active support to help them revive, provided they the excellent technological prowess and potential for success.”
This special financial support by Gyeonggi Province, which has totaled KRW 7.3 billion to date, is providing renewed hope to those who once failed.

Article 4. Provincial & Regional Governments Brainstorm AI Management (161220-1)
[Anchor’s Headline] On December 19, Gyeonggi Province convened an emergency local administrators meeting to discuss the management of the bird flu outbreaks that are currently devastating poultry farms in Korea.

In Gyeonggi Province, nearly nine million chickens and ducks have been culled over a period of one month alone, and the number is still increasing rapidly.
▶ Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex (December 16)
AI Quarantine Emergency Video Meeting
The meeting participants, who included the deputy heads of the 31 localities of the province and AI quarantine headquarters officials, discussed current issues, new ideas and requirements.
▶ Yeoju City Deputy Mayor Lee Seok-beom
“Since it was difficult to find locations for animal burial, we immediately created burial sites in the mountains near the affected farms.”

▶ Yangju City Deputy Mayor Oh Hyun-suk
“I would like to make a suggestion regarding compensation as living expense support for poultry farms whose animals have been culled…”
A number of suggestions were made during the meeting including the installation of mobile sterilization equipment at large farms and GPS devices on vehicles for tracking.
▶ Temporary Quarantine Facilities to be Installed at Large Poultry Farms
Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil accepted the suggestions for equipment at large farms. He also promised the installation of temporary quarantine facilities at entrances to farms with more than 100,000 animals and the provision of sterilizing equipment as needed.
▶ Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil
“Please make notes on what you think are fundamental solutions. We will then officially consolidate these solutions for further discussion later.”
In addition to extensive field quarantine measures, Gyeonggi Province is making collective efforts to effectively manage AI outbreaks through brainstorming.

Article 5. Continuity of Gyeonggi’s Coalition Policy Ensured by Ordinance (161220-2)
[Anchor’s Headline] Gyeonggi Province officially announced the enforcement of an ordinance that provides a statutory foundation for the political coalition, the first of its kind in Korea, that the current provincial administration has been pursuing.

With this ordinance in place, the continuity of political coalition is now ensured.
The political coalition in Gyeonggi Province began with the sharing of the governor’s right to appoint a vice governor from the opposition party in the provincial assembly. This was followed by the introduction of an executive coalition committee, joint budget planning with the provincial assembly, and personnel hearings for provincial organization heads.
▶ Basic Ordinance for Public Life & Political Coalition Enforced
With this ordinance, all these coalition procedures now have a legal foundation.
▶ Kim Jong-seok / Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Operation Committee Chairman
“This ordinance is important for power distribution in autonomy as well as for improving public quality of life.”
This ordinance stipulates objectives and basic principles of political coalition as well as the responsibilities of the governor; the objectives are the promotion of the local economy and maximization of resident happiness through mutually beneficial cooperation.
The ordinance also provides legal basis for the establishment of the executive coalition committee, the political coalition arbitration committee, and the executive committee for public organization management rationalization.
▶ Lee Wu-cheol / Director General, Gyeonggi Province Coalition Cooperation Bureau
“The coalition committee will oversee the coordination and modification of project plans. There is also the resident arbitration committee in which residents can participate.”
With the legal basis for political coalition in place, the province’s 288 coalition projects for next year will have greater driving power for implementation.

Article 6. Gyeonggi Provincial Icheon Hospital Extension Work Begins (161221-1)
[Anchor’s Headline] On December 14, extension work at Icheon (이천) Hospital of the Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center began. Icheon Hospital is the only general hospital in the combined regions of Icheon (이천), Yeoju (여주), and Yangpyeong (양평).

▶ Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Icheon Hospital
Constructed in 1982, Icheon Hospital has been suffering from aging facilities and a lack of space for proper services. Of the 600 patients who arrive daily from all over the eastern regions of the province, each has to wait for at least an hour to see a doctor.
▶ Han Seung-yeon / Icheon City Resident
“I visit this hospital once or twice a month. It is so uncomfortable to walk through the narrow and crowded corridors here.”
There has long been a need for the expansion of this hospital.
▶ Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Icheon Hospital (December 14)
Hospital Extension Groundbreaking Ceremony
When extension work is completed in February of 2019, Icheon Hospital will be reborn with a floor area of more than 36,000 square meters on six floors and two ground floors as well as 319 beds, more than twice the current number of beds.
[CG] There will also be an expansion of medical services from the current 12 departments to 16 departments
The cardiovascular center, rehabilitation center, and hospice wing will also be established or expanded.
▶ Continuous Medical Services will be Available
With the addition of a rehabilitation department, patients will be able to receive continuous care after receiving treatment for conditions such as arthritis, which is common in these agriculture-intensive areas.
▶ Bae-su-yong / Director General, Gyeonggi Province Health & Welfare Bureau
“It will become a large general hospital with more than 300 beds capable of providing comprehensive medical services to local residents.”
Together with building and service expansion, the hospital will also have supplementary supplies of state-of-the-art medical equipment.

Article 7. Gyeonggi Research Institute Hosts International Conference (161221-3)
[Anchor’s Headline] For the first time in its history, the Gyeonggi Research Institute was the host of an international conference. It was a two-day conference on humans and regions in which representatives of research institutes from 6 nations participated.

▶ Gyeonggi Creative Economy Innovation Center (December 20-21)
2016 Gyeonggi Research Institute International Conference
The objective of this conference, which took place at the Gyeonggi Creative Economy Innovation Center in Pangyo (판교), was to identify ways in which to develop human-friendly environments.
▶ Scholars and Researchers from 6 Nations Participated
During the conference, participants from India, Russia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Vietnam and China discussed human-friendly urban development, cooperation in development, and closing the gaps between urban and rural environments.
▶ Lee Sang-hun / Deputy Director, Gyeonggi Research Institute
“The key words of discussions were; the diversity of cities, regional harmony, and cooperation.”
For two days, more than 50 scholars and researchers discussed and presented topics that included urban environment, housing, city revival, human migration and multi-culturalism.
▶ Schbramaniam Shandrasekar / Professor, Indira Gandhi Development Institute
“I think this conference will lead to good opportunities for India and Korea to maintain cooperative relationships and exchange investments.”

▶ Joint Political Research and Cultural Exchange to Increase
This international conference is expected to help Gyeonggi Province promote joint political research and cultural exchanges with the six nations that participated.
▶ Lim Hae-gyub / Director, Gyeonggi Research Institute
“We will seek to draw cooperation from political research institutes in these countries, build up confidence in each other, and develop mutually beneficial relations.”
The Gyeonggi Research Institute plans to organize international conferences like this on an annual basis. Next year, an institute delegation will visit Russia and Mongolia for exchanges.

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We look forward to seeing you again next week.