Greetings, everyone, and 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. Children’s Museum Opens in North Gyeonggi (0530-2)
[Anchor’s Headline] A children’s museum opened in Dongducheon (동두천) City of Gyeonggi Province. This museum offers a variety of nature-study programs and is the first of its kind to be established in the northern regions of the province.

▶ North Gyeonggi Children’s Museum, Dongducheon City
The brachiosaur model in the museum has become an exciting playground for children who climb this giant herbivorous dinosaur of the Jurassic period to explore its interior.
▶ [PiP] Shin Su-ah & Kim Ga-in
“We learned new things about dinosaurs. I didn’t know dinosaurs ate stones to help digestion.”
This museum features a simulated prehistoric jungle in which children encounter various dinosaurs. There are a number of experiential education sections in which children learn about various natural phenomena such as the circulation of air and water.
▶ [PiP] Kim Sin-bi
“What I like most is that there are lots of things to play in. We didn’t have many places to go and play like this. I am glad we have this museum now.”

▶ 9 Forest Thematic Zones
The construction of the North Gyeonggi Children’s Museum cost KRW 19.2 billion. Occupying a 12,000 square-meter-site, the museum is comprised of nine experience zones under the common theme of ‘Dreams from Forest”. There is also a separate zone for toddlers and preschoolers.
▶ [PiP] Kim Jae-heon / Director, North Gyeonggi Children’s Museum
“We will develop a variety of exhibition and experiential programs for children and for parents as well. We also plan to develop permanent educational programs including afterschool programs.”
The North Gyeonggi Children’s Museum will become a popular destination for children in northern Gyeonggi Province.

Article 2. Gyeonggi Hears Youths on Declining Birthrates (160527-3)
[Anchor’s Headline] Following the first public forum on declining birthrates held last month, Gyeonggi Province held a second forum this month so as to discuss factors and possible solutions for this critical nationwide problem that discourages youths from getting married and having children.

▶ Neowiz Tower, Pangyo
The hearing was held at a business center at lunchtime for the convenience of attending young workers.
▶ Forum on Declining Birthrate (May 25)
“Why People Delay Marriage? Are Work and Family Life Incompatible?”
For an hour, youths spoke on why they delay marriage and cannot pursue work and family life concurrently.
▶ Lee Deok-ro, Web Designer, Bachelor
“Have you ever seen a father nursing his baby? One of my friends is a single father, and he cannot take his baby out because there is no institutional help available for feeding babies. This makes getting married scarier…”

▶ Marriage Shunned for Economic Reasons & Fear of Child Rearing
Lee (이덕로) admitted that he fears getting married not simply because of economic reasons but also because of the challenging tasks of child rearing. He argued that more nursing education must be made available to men, and was supported by many working men present.
▶ Wedding, Childrearing & Homemaking Costs
A working mother said that a lack of childcare facilities during her working hours as well as wedding and homemaking costs are major factors constraining marriage.
▶ [PiP] Choi So-ra, Working Mother
“I thought I could manage both work and homemaking, but the reality was very different once a baby arrived.”
Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Ki-woo, who was also present at the forum, responded with suggestions based on provincial policies.
▶ Gyeonggi Province Social Integration Vice Governor Lee Ki-woo
“There are talks about developing programs for and providing information about low-cost weddings. We will begin to work on this and open an online channel through which we can provide Ddabok Housing information, conduct surveys…”
Gyeonggi Province will continue seeking solutions to low birthrates through various endeavors including public forums like this for direct dialogue with residents.

Article 3. New Gyeonggi Office Site Opens as Park before Construction (160530-1)
[Anchor’s Headline] The planned site for the new Gyeonggi provincial office complex has been transformed into a grain field to create a temporary park prior to the commencement of construction work. Featuring fully grown barley and rye, the park opened on May 27 with various events.

▶ Gyeonggi Provincial Office Complex Site, Suwon
The empty space of the planned construction site is now covered with golden waves of barley and rye as well as yellow canola flowers sown last year. Promenades crisscross the field, creating a beautiful park for local residents.
▶ Kim Gyeong-il, Suwon Resident
“Farm land has been transformed into a beautiful open space. It’s wonderful to have a place like this near my home. I am sure many people will come to enjoy the place.”

▶ Opening Events Held until June 3
The opening day featured a number of booths that offered various entertainments such as face painting for children, photo services, and mime performances, as well as a new office complex promotional booth. These events ran until June 3.
▶ GTV Reporter Lee Ye-sol
“The empty space of the planned provincial office complex site has been transformed into a park that will stay open until construction work begins.”
On the opening day, primary school students who participated in barley sowing came back to harvest the barley; this will be donated to livestock farms for use as feed.
▶ Kim Taek-hyun, 6th Grade, Shinpoong Primary School
“It is nice to see the building forest of the Gwanggyo area of Suwon now has a beautiful park. Barley harvesting was an interesting experience.”
Gyeonggi Province will continue to utilize the site for the public by opening a cosmos field this autumn and a sledding area in the winter until the commencement of construction work next year.
▶ Lee Gye-sam / Director, Gyeonggi Province Construction Headquarters
“Construction work for the new Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex will begin in June next year. We welcome all residents to come and enjoy the site until then and to share thoughts about the new complex.”
To visit the new provincial office complex site, it is best to use the Gwanggyo Central Station which is within walking distance of the site.

Article 4. Gyeonggi Promotes Autonomous Student Education (160531-1)
[Anchor’s Headline] Gyeonggi Province recently began promoting education methods that are based on autonomous classes operated by students. The provincial government recently secured agreement from related organizations for cooperation in creating future-orientated infrastructure for such education.

▶ Naru High School, Hwaseong City
In this high school classroom, the class is led by students independently through free talking among themselves without the presence of a teacher.
▶ [Sync]
“Step 3!”
“Step 3? Make an increment table and find the value from it.”
“Correct.”

▶ Autonomous Classes Led by Students Independently
Students in this class take the initiative and conduct the class autonomously. Teachers only assist the students with class procedures and provide video materials in advance to help students prepare for the class. The entire class is then conducted independently by the students themselves through discussion and mutual learning.
▶ Park Jin-woo, Junior Student, Naru High School
“It’s much easier to understand when classmates explain things from my perspective. I feel freer to make mistakes and to ask questions without being self-conscious.”

▶ Positive Effects on Concentration, Peer Relations and Participation
This autonomous education method helped students familiarize themselves with study through active involvement in classes while improving their interrelationships.
▶ Cho Hye-rin, Junior Student, Naru High School
“There used to be a few students who slept during classes. Now everyone is involved in the classes and often comes to me to ask questions, showing their active participation in the classes.”

▶ Autonomous Education Camp Established
Gyeonggi Province established an Autonomous Education Camp utilizing facilities at the English Language Village in Paju (파주) City so as to provide teachers with support in the development of autonomous education programs for the future.
▶ [PiP] Yang Hyun-seok, Senior Student, Daegyeong Commercial High School
“I only realized the inconvenience and could think of ideas to improve the situation when I was actually unable to use my hands.”

▶ Paju English Language Village (May 28)
Signing of Cooperation Agreement for Future Education
A cooperation agreement for such development endeavors was signed by Gyeonggi Province, the Korean Ministry of Education, and two private research foundations.
▶ Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil
“Active involvement by students can be assured since the classes are run by students through mutual interactions. This is what is different. I hope that our youths will grow to become capable individuals with great personality and creativity (through autonomous education).”
Gyeonggi Province will continue to promote autonomous education that is based on independent, creative study by students instead of on unidirectional teaching.
Article 5. Gyeonggi to See Driverless Vehicles on the Road in 2018 (160523-3)
[Anchor’s Headline] The Pangyo (판교) New Town in Seongnam (성남) City of Gyeonggi Province was designated by the Korean Ministry of Land, Transport and Tourism as a trial operation area for driverless vehicles. Gyeonggi Province will then be able to see driverless vehicles on the road by the year 2018.

According to Korean law, driverless vehicle operation requires a license and is limited in designated areas.
▶ Pangyo Designated as Driverless Vehicle Trial Operation Area
This designation provides an institutional ground for the implementation of the driverless vehicle experimental operation zone that the provincial government has planned.
▶ Driverless Vehicle Experimental Operation Zone Planned for 2018
The purpose of this experimental operation zone is to test the feasibility of operating driverless vehicles on roads that are also used by ordinary vehicles.
▶ Experimental Operations to Provide Driverless Vehicle Research Foundations
Such experimental operations will provide foundations for driverless vehicle technology research. This zone will be comprised of a 4-kilometer section of 2- to 4-lane roads with a control center for real-time traffic monitoring and accident prevention.
▶ Won Beom-hui / Chief Official, Gyeonggi Province High-Tech Complex Team
“We will work with the central government so that driverless vehicle-related industries can perform various tests in an actual operation environment.”

▶ Gyeonggi Seeks Core Technology Partners
Gyeonggi Province has begun contacting local and international auto manufacturers for core technology transfers so as to establish a sound technology base for driverless vehicle operations that the provincial government plans to begin in 2018.

Article 6. Gyeonggi Begins Intensive Wastewater Treatment Inspections (160524-3)
[Anchor’s Headline] Since warm weather arrived early this year, Gyeonggi Province began intensive inspections of wastewater treatment facilities so as to prevent algae blooms that, fed by contaminated water, occur during the summer.

▶ Golf Course Restaurant, Yongin City
For businesses that produce large amounts of wastewater, the use of private wastewater treatment before releasing the water into the sewer is compulsory in Korea. The water is then processed again at water treatment plants before being released into local rivers.
The insufficient elimination of contaminants at their source is a primary cause of water pollution and algae blooms.
▶ Hwang Ui-tae / Environmental Control Specialist
“Algae blooms are most serious during warm seasons. Environmental control personnel work hardest during these seasons to prevent algae blooms.”

▶ 882 Wastewater Treatment Facilities Tested
Gyeonggi Province officials performed intensive tests at 882 wastewater treatment facilities in the province.
▶ Violations Found at 97 Facilities
The 97 facilities that fell below permissible water quality standards were fined or given administrative orders for correction.
▶ An Yong-gi / Chief Official, Gyeonggi Province Sewage Management Team
“We will endeavor to minimize the influx of contaminants that trigger algae blooms into rivers and to preserve water source quality so as to supply clean water to our residents.”
Inspections will be performed on an on-going basis including smaller but water system-adjacent facilities such as those at camping grounds.

Article 7. Gyeonggi Establishes Youth Business Startup Camp (160525-3)
[Anchor’s Headline] Following last year’s introduction of the Base Camp, a business startup platform for aspiring entrepreneurs, Gyeonggi Province opened a new business startup support center in the same building, this time for college students with business ideas.

▶ Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Suwon City
Business Startup Support Center for College Students
The residents of this center have been selected from among students who have business ideas with good prospects and decided to start their own businesses. At this center, these students share ideas and information with each other.
▶ Ryu Su-yeon / College Student, Business Startup Support Center Resident
“I have a business idea, but I needed the guidance of specialists as well as financial support, so I decided to apply for this support program.”

▶ Use of Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology Resources
The resident students are provided with work spaces as well as access to the institute’s academic resources and research facilities. Students are also motivated with monetary support of differentiated amounts for each stage of progress.
▶ Lee Sang-guk / Graduate Student, Business Startup Support Center Resident
“My imminent goal is to develop glasses that display dialogues like subtitles for individuals with hearing impairments. My ultimate goal, however, is to develop technologies that will help the currently separated society of those with hearing impairments merge into the society of all people.
In spite of the high failure rate among business startups by youths, this support center will serve as an effective base camp for future success.
▶ Park Tae-hyun / Director, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology
“I am very hopeful that our students will work hard, as if to conquer a mountain, and become future Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.”
Gyeonggi Province aims to support these students in the transformation of their superior ideas into tangible realities by the end of the year.

Thank you for joining us for this week’s edition of GTV
We look forward to seeing you again next week.