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. Gyeonggi Promotes Employee-friendly Businesses (1203-3)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Gyeonggi Province has been promoting businesses that support the home lives of their personnel. This promotional policy includes the annual selection and designation of such exemplary enterprises.

[Report]
▶ Medical Equipment Manufacturing Enterprise, Pyeongtaek
This company in Pyeongtaek (평택) City of Gyeonggi Province specializes in the development and production of medical equipment such as artificial blood vessels. This company’s sales have grown from mere KRW 50 million in 1991 to more than KRW 13 billion. Such consistent growth is attributed to the high level of employee satisfaction with employment conditions as well as a one-on-one mentoring program for expertise development.

[Sync] “I will provide you with guidance about how you can improve your capabilities while handling production management jobs.”

▶ One-on-One Mentoring, Reduced Work Hours during Pregnancy,
▶ Up to 2 Years of Maternity Leave
In addition to the mentoring system that involves the assignment of experienced personnel to each new recruit, this company also offers favorable conditions for women including reduced working hours during pregnancy and up to two years of maternity leave.

▶ Lee Mi-hun / Administrative Manager, M.I. Tech, Inc.
“When a child enters primary school, a lot of parental care is needed. I was very happy because I could give my child just that.”

This company enables its employees to engage in both work and home lives without difficulties.

▶ Han Jong-hyun / CEO, M.I. Tech. Inc.
“People should be the masters in the space where they work. We should coexist like a family. Such familial relationships are ultimately beneficial for the company, and such benefits are then returned to employees…”

This year, Gyeonggi Province designated 46 enterprises and organizations as Excellent Workplaces so as to promote a family-friendly business culture.

▶ Gyeonggi Province Social Integration Vice Governor Lee Ki-woo
“Family-friendliness among employers is very important considering the present ageing society with low birth rates. Gyeonggi Province will continue to promote family-friendly workplaces throughout the province.”

Family-friendly business culture not only supports the home lives of employees, it also benefits business enterprises through improved productivity and competitiveness.

Article 2. G-mark Meat Shops Open in Gyeonggi Province (1204-3)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Meat shops featuring only G-marked products have opened in Gyeonggi Province. At these shops, consumers can purchase meat products certified by the Governor of Gyeonggi Province at reasonable prices.

[Report]
▶ G-Mark Meat Shop, Suwon City
The G-mark is given only to environment-friendly farm products of high quality. These shops that exclusively deal with G-mark meat products are the first of their kind to open in Gyeonggi Province. Unlike at ordinary meat shops, product labels at these shops also identify the birth dates of the animals as well as the farms and butcheries from which they came.

▶ Lee Ji-seon / Consumer, Suwon City
“It is hard to find trusted meat products. Since I have children, I am choosier when it comes to buying meat products. I feel safe when buying governor-approved G-mark products.”

▶ G-Mark Meat Shop Restaurant, Yongin City
This restaurant, which doubles as a meat shop, sells only meat products processed and supplied directly by the Livestock Cooperative, an official G-mark product supplier. Channeled through a short distribution route, the products at this shop are priced lower than at other meat shops.

▶ Kim Yu-jeong / Consumer, Yongin City
“They have very tasty meat. They are juicy when grilled on a charcoal barbecue. No wonder they are province-certified meats.”

▶ 4 G-Mark Meat Shops Open This Month
This month, four G-mark meat shops opened in the cities of Suwon (수원) and Yongin (용인). These shops feature only environment-friendly G-mark meat products produced in Gyeonggi Province. Consumers can purchase quality meat at low prices at these shops.

▶ Kim Seong-sik / Director, Gyeonggi Province Animal Quarantine Division
“What appeals most to consumers is that they now have easy access to eco-friendly, hygienic and antibiotic-free meat products at low prices.”

Gyeonggi Province plans to increase the number of G-mark meat shops to 20 by the end of next year. Selected shops will be provided with provincial support for marketing and promotion.
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Article 3. Gyeonggi Province to Increase SME Technology Support (1208-2)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Gyeonggi Province announced that it will increase its SME support again next year so as to help smaller enterprises overcome difficulties in technology development while improving their competitiveness and creating more jobs.

[Report]
▶ Automatic Packaging Machine Manufacturer, Bucheon City
This company recently developed a new pharmaceutical tablet packaging machine that can produce medicine packets of international standards at costs that are 50 percent lower. Such an achievement was made possible by technology development support from Gyeonggi Province. These machines are now being sold to more than 60 countries.

▶ Jeon Seung-taek / Special Project Director, Hoonga Corp.
“Financing as well as development investment is a huge challenge for small enterprises. However, with active provincial support, there is a good chance for them to become industrial leaders.”

[CG] Since Gyeonggi Province launched its technology development support for SMEs in 2008, more than 600 enterprises have benefited. The result has been a combined sales increase of KRW 270 billion, more than double the amount of support provided, and the creation of 25,000 jobs. Gyeonggi Province will increase the amount of support next year and plans to finalize implementation plans by the end of this month.

▶ Lee Hyun-a / Senior Researcher, Gyeonggi Institute of Science & Technology Promotion
“Gyeonggi Province and GSTEP will allocate an increased budget next year and continue to provide R&D support to SMEs with technological potential.”

Technology development support by Gyeonggi Province will help establish a technological foundation for the growth of SMEs in the province.

Article 4. Game Content Contest Held in Gyeonggi Province (1207-2)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Gyeonggi Province organized a contest for game content so as to promote the gaming industry. Ten finalists in a variety game genres vied for provincial game development support.

[Report]
▶ 10 Teams Qualified for Finals for Provincial Support of KRW 150 Million
Out of 125 game development teams, 10 qualified for the finals through a month of assessments. At the finals, 5 teams were ultimately selected for provincial support of KRW 150 million.

▶ Games of Various Genres Introduced
The ten finalists introduced games of various genres at the contest that followed an audition format.

▶ Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor in Administrative Affairs Lee Jae-yul
“The Game Creation Audition is open to anyone with ideas. Winners are provided with game development support and work space as well as publishing opportunities.”

▶ Final Contest Held in Audition Format ‘Game Creation Audition’
Each team was given 7 minutes to present their concepts followed by questions from judges and a vote by audience members.

▶ Kim Yong-ha / Producer, Smile Gate
“I think this game needs early release. I wonder what stage of development it is in now and when you plan to release the game.”

The questions from the judges focused on the commercial potential of the games after their release.

▶ Jang Hyeon-se / Manager, Google Korea
“There is a demarcation line at which people begin to reject (the games). Specialists predict such rejection may not be overcome in a few years. It means those games will never see the limelight.”

▶ Action Game ‘City of Fighting’ Won Top Award
The action game ‘City of Fighting’ won first prize with the highest score from 100 voters among the audience members and a panel of judges.

▶ Park Byeong-sun / Representative of ‘Happy Rabbit Show’ Team
“I have worked hard developing an action game which is my favorite. I am very pleased to be able to qualify through this audition and win the prize. This makes me more determined to develop better games.”

During the award presentation ceremony, Gyeonggi Province promised to continue its support of the gaming industry and to help the industry acquire international competitiveness

Article 5. French Auto Part Enterprise to Invest in Gyeonggi Province (1208-1)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Gyeonggi Province and Faurecia, a French auto part manufacturer, recently entered an investment agreement for the establishment an exhaust reduction technology research center in the province.

[Report]
▶ Faurecia Research Center Construction Site, Yongin City
On this site in Yongin (용인) City, Faurecia will construct a research center in cooperation with Gyeonggi Province.

▶ Construction to Complete in June 2016
Slated for completion in June next year, this center will work on the commercialization of exhaust gas reduction technologies.

▶ Seo Gyeong-myeong / Director, Faurecia Exhaust Research Center
“With this research center, Korea will lead the development of new technologies of global standards.”

Automobile exhaust gas is one of major causes of acid rain and smog.

▶ Faurecia Opts for Commercialization of Proprietary Technology (Ammonia Storage & Delivery System) 개발
The targeted technology for commercialization is an ammonia storage and delivery system, one of the proprietary technologies of Faurecia, which is known to reduce nitrogen oxide in exhaust gas by up to 80 percent. This technology has also been proven to increase fuel efficiency.

▶ Research Center Investment Agreement (December 7)
According to the agreement signed at Gyeonggi Province’s Seoul office, Faurecia will invest an equivalent of USD 68 million in a general research center in Yongin (용인) City.

▶ Kim Hyun-soo / Director, Gyeonggi Province Investment Promotion Division
“It is not simply an inducement of foreign investment, but also the realization of mutual benefits between the company and the local industry.”

▶ Creation of New Jobs & Technology Exchanges
Under the agreement, Gyeonggi Province has already begun to seek cooperation from local automotive enterprises for the commercialization of exhaust reduction technologies, and plans for the creation of 200 new jobs.

Article 6. Gyeonggi Seeks Improvement of Care Service Working Conditions (1208-3)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Recognizing the inferior working conditions of care service providers, Gyeonggi Province convened a meeting to discuss ways in which to improve their working environments.

[Report]
▶ Care Service Workers Increased since 2011
Since the enactment of the Social Service Utilization Law in 2011, the number of care service providers for seniors, children and pregnant women has increased significantly.

▶ Women Workers Suffer Low Wages and Frequently Harassments
However, these care service providers, mostly females, often have to sustain stress from long working hours, and are frequently subject to verbal and physical harassment on top of low wages.

▶ Lee Hyun-ju / Director, Pyeongtaek Social Care Service Center
“Does care service work really deserve only the minimum wage? Should our work be priced at the lowest wage level?

▶ Gyeonggi Province Family & Women’s Research Institute (December 4)
Political Meeting for Care Service Working Environment Improvement
During the meeting, Gyeonggi Province identified issues regarding work hours, salary criteria and working environments. The provincial office also decided to educate service users so as to prevent the harassment of female workers.

▶ Han Ok-ja / Director, Gyeonggi Province Family & Women’s Research Institute
“(We organized this meeting) to identify ways in which to create safe and sound working environments for care service providers since the number of these workers will continue to increase.”

▶ Gyeonggi to Promote Social Status of Care Service Providers
Beginning with this meeting, Gyeonggi Province will endeavor to improve the social recognition and status of care service providers.

Article 7. Gyeonggi Secures Increased National Budget Support for 2016 (1207-1)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Gyeonggi Province secured budget support of KRW 11 trillion for 2016 from the Korean central government. This is a record amount following this year’s KRW 10 trillion. This national support will help facilitate many provincial infrastructure projects.

[Report]
▶ National Support of KRW 11,062 Billion Secured
This national support amount is 4 percent, or KRW 423 billion, greater than the previous record amount for 2015.

▶ Transportation Infrastructural Projects Receive Green Light
The project areas that will benefit most include transportation infrastructure, especially in northern regions, as well as employment and safety.

▶ Park Jun-ho / Chief Official, Gyeonggi Province Construction & Transportation Budget Team
“Gyeonggi Province has been investing extensively in social overhead capital. Northern areas of the province will see considerable advancement in road and railway systems.”

[CG] Gyeonggi Province has secured KRW 1.86 trillion for 36 projects in northern areas of the province and KRW 1.11 trillion for GTX railway projects in regions bordering Seoul.

Significant amounts were also approved by the central government for employment and energy facility projects.

[CG] Approximately KRW 115 billion was secured for Pangyo (판교) Techno Valley promotion while support of KRW 93 billion will be provided for industrial complex infrastructure.

In addition, KRW 270 billion has been secured for river work and other safety and disaster prevention projects.
With the increased amount of national support, Gyeonggi Province will see substantial progress in a number of large and small provincial projects next year.

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