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 Expands Use of Effective Local Government Apps(0225-2)

[Anchor’s Headline]

The local governments of Gyeonggi Province often use customized software in their administrative processes. Among these programs, those that have proven effective and have potential for universal use will be introduced to all other local governments in the province.

[Report]

▶Bucheon City Facilities Management Corp.
Mobile City Facilities Management System
Kim is a technical official at the Bucheon City Facilities Management Corporation. He uses a mobile application to locate in operative facilities in real time. Using this application, he can reduce service time and retrieve trouble shooting information on the spot while also sharing images of the problem site with other related personnel.

▶Kim Jong-soo / Bucheon City Facilities Management Corporation, Traffic Information Team Official
“In the past, it took time to locate the problem. This smart phone application allows me to move to the problem site quickly. It makes it much more convenient now.”

▶Gwangju City
Approval Decision Support System
The Approval Decision Support System developed by Gwangju (광주) City provides information about the areas around specific locations. This makes approval processes much quicker by removing the need to refer to related departments.

▶Standardized Excellent Administration Applications to Be Introduced Province-wide
These programs will be modified for standardized usage before being introduced to all other cities and counties of the province.

▶Kim Tae-geun / Chief Official, Gyeonggi Province Future Information Team
“The common use of standard applications will mitigate regional differences in information availability ,and eliminate duplicate administrative engagements. This will have the effect of reducing budgetary expenditures by nearly KRW 2 billion and allow local projects to be implemented more effectively.”
Application programs will also be introduced in the public service sector and are expected to increase public satisfaction through the effective processing of civil applications.
 
Article 2.Gyeonggi Intensifies Pine Wilt Disease Prevention (0226)

[Anchor’s Headline]
Pine wilt disease, a fatal parasitic disease of pine trees with no known cure, has been spreading throughout Korea since the 1980s. This year, Gyeonggi Province plans to intensify preventive measures against this disease before vectors becomes active in the spring.

[Report]

▶Chowol-eup, Gwangju
Pine wilt disease is caused by microscopic worm-like parasites called pine wilt nematodes that live on the flesh of pine tree bark. The infected trees stand no chance, inevitably wilting and dying, like those on this mountain in Gwangju (광주) City.

▶Gwon Geon-hyeong / Researcher, Gyeonggi Province Forestry Environment Research Center
“(Pine wilt nematodes) multiply at an amazing rate. One worm can multiply to a hundred thousand in twenty days and completely block the nutrient supply to the tree.”
[CG]Pine wilt disease has occurred at fifteen locations in Gyeonggi Province to date, killing more than 50,000 trees this winter alone.

▶Preventive Actions to Be Taken before Vectors Become Active
Preventive actions will be completed before the arrival of spring when vectors, acertain beetlespecies, become active. Infected trees will be cut down since they cannot be saved.

▶GTV Reporter Lee Tae-hui
“Infected pine trees are cut to manageable lengths and treated with chemicals before being sealed with plastic sheets for fumigation for two years.”
New infections will be prevented by wrapping the bark of infected treesto intercept the beetles.

▶[PiP]Sin Myeong-hwan / Gwangju City Forest Preservation Division Official
“Inspectors are currently visiting pine forest areas and inspecting the quality of fumigation work.”

▶Identification and Isolation of Infected Trees to Be Completed by April
A special team will work to identify and isolate all infected trees, aided by aerial observations and laboratory analyses. Subsequent preventive actions in the affected areas will be completed by April.
 
Article 3.Gyeonggi Province Targets Life Expectancy of 83.6 Years(0223-3)

[Anchor’s Headline]
The Gyeonggi Provincial Government announced that it aims to extend the life expectancy of provincial residents to 83.6 years by 2018.This goal will be supported by a number of detailed targets that were also announced. Our reporter examined the details.

[Report]

▶Gyeonggi Announces Medium-to-Long-term Health and Medical Policies
This announcement was made as part of the medium-to-long-term health and medical policies of the provincial administration.

▶Targeted Life Expectancy of 83.6 Years
The current life expectancy of provincial residents is 81.7 years; this is one year longer than the life expectancy of three years ago. The new target of 83.6 years represents a two-year increase over the same period of time.

▶Smoking Rate Among Adult Males to Be Reduced to 34%

▶Tuberculosis Prevalence to Be Reduced to 52/100,000 persons

▶Vaccination Rate to Be Increased to 95%
The smoking rate among adult males will be reduced from 43 to 34 percent, tuberculosis prevalence will be reduced from 77 to 52 persons per 100,000, and the vaccination rate including influenza vaccinations for seniors will be increased to 95 percent.

▶Free National Health Examination Service Usage Rate to Be Increased

▶Healthy Diet Practice Rate to Be Increate
The usagerate of free national health examination services will be increased 50 percent while the healthy diet practice rate will be increased to 34 percent.

▶Lee Han-hyeong / General Director, Gyeonggi Province Health and Welfare Office
“In order to achieve the targeted life expectancy of 83 years and healthy life expectancy of 75 years, we will work with specialists to develop and implement effective policies.”

▶Gyeonggi Invests KRW 1.2 Trillion in 12 Health Projects
To achieve these targets, Gyeonggi Province will invest a total of KRW 1.1 trillion in twelve health projects.

▶3 Key Areas of Health Administrations
– Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Control
– Mental Health Promotion
– Establishment of Emergency Response Systems
The three key health administration areas include the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases through management of high blood pressure and diabetes, the promotion of mental health and the reduction of the suicide rate, and the increase of the disaster survival rate through the establishment of emergency response tems.
 
Article 4.Gyeonggi Wins National ‘Kind Price Business’ Contest(0224-3)

[Anchor’s Headline]
Small businesses of Gyeonggi Province won the grand prize and two awards of excellence in the national ‘Kind Price Business’ contest organized by the Korean Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs.

[Report]

▶Hanuram Myeongpumgwan Restaurant / Uman-dong, Suwon
Today, this restaurant is filled to capacity with more than 120 seniors as well as local volunteer students working as servers. After some entertaining song performances, diners are served a hearty meal of beef rib and vegetable soup with rice.

▶Kim Jeong-ja (Aged 79) / Maetan-dong, Suwon
“My daughter returns home in March. I told her to bring some gifts for the owner of this restaurant to whom I am very grateful.”

▶ Free Meal Service to Seniors Twice a Month
Since 2013, this restaurant has been inviting local seniors to a free meal service twice a month.

▶ Grand Prize Winner of National ‘Kind Price Business’ Contest
This humanitarian service was recognized with the Grand Prize Award in the national ‘Kind Price Business’ contest.

▶ Kim Yeong-gil / Owner of Hanuram Myeogpumhwan Restaurant
“I like to think that we are living as free guests in a world built by these senior citizens. So I believe that a world in which we can hear seniors laugh is a truly happy world.”

▶Jueun Hair Salon / Jeongja-dong, Suwon
This hair salon is one of the small businesses that received an Award of Excellence in the same contest. In addition to its already low fees, this hair salon gives discounts to seniors. Its staff members also visit private homes and nursing homes to provide free hair dressing services.

▶Maeng Sun-ok / Owner and Hairdresser of Jueun Hair Salon
“I am doing my work as if I am serving others, so I try to provide good services at low prices. The economy isn’t good, anyway.”
With a grand prize and two awards of excellence, Gyeonggi Province topped the national contest. The common attribute of the prize winners was unselfish service to local communities.
 
Article 5.Gaming Business Fair Held in Gyeonggi Province(0226-3)

[Anchor’s Headline]
In the fourth week of February, a gaming business fair organized by the Gyeonggi Contents Agency opened at the Pangyo (판교) Public Support Center.

[Report]
This event showcased gaming technologies and contents developed by Korean and overseas enterprises, such as this motion-capture technology using sensor-affixed garments and another that applies Japanese animation.

▶ Jeon Dong-ju / Manager, Man Audio Co.
“There were a variety of gaming contests that I enjoyed watching. Some were similar to what we have and I could learn from their different approaches.”
This event served everyone in the gaming industry from early developers to global gaming enterprises. Visitors could try out or ask questions about games of interest.

▶ Pangyo Public Support Center (February 26~27)
G-Hub Game Connect
This gaming business fair, entitled ‘G-Hub Game Connect,’ was organized to promote business and the sharing of information among gaming enterprises through conferences and seminars. There were also private rooms for business meetings between potential business partners.

▶ Kim Yeong-chan / Managing Director, Samsung Electronics
“We will continue to attend occasions in which both we and contents developers can benefit. At this event, I saw that exact possibility.”
Large enterprises such as Samsung Electronics, Microsoft, and Naver participated in this event and played mentoring roles.

▶ More Than 100 Gaming Enterprises Participated
This business fair also served as a networking venue formore than a hundred gaming enterprises.

▶ Lee Gyu-won / Gyeonggi Contents Agency Cultural Creation Hub Team Leader
“This event is meaningful in that it was the first networking event organized by the public organization for small and large enterprises.”
The Gyeonggi Contents Agency plans to hold the gaming business fair annually so as to promote business and communication among gaming enterprises.
 
Article 6.Gyeonggi Develops Microbial Remedy for Lettuce Wilt Disease (0225-3)

[Anchor’s Headline]
A Gyeonggi provincial institute developed a microorganism strain that can prevent the lettuce wilt disease that frequently inflicts massive damage on lettuce growers in Korea.

[Report]
A diseased lettuce plant turns brown as it weakens from its bottom leaves upwards until the entire plant eventually collapses. Pathogenic bacteria are transferred to the soil, and the infected soil is no longer useable for lettuce farming.

▶Lee Sang-yong / Lettuce Farmer
“The wilt disease is the biggest problem. If it hits during the summer, chances are there will be no harvest.”
Lettuce is the most-farmed greenhouse vegetable in Gyeonggi Province and can be cultivated to produce multiple crops throughout the year. However, there are an increasing number of lettuce wilt disease outbreaks. Sterilization with sunlight or chemicals has little effect.

▶Trichoderma Can Prevent 70% of Wilt Disease
Developed by a Gyeonggi institute, the fungal strain trichoderma has proven effective in preventing the lettuce wilt disease.

▶[PiP]Jang Myeong-jun / Researcher, Gyeonggi Agricultural Research and Extension Services
“(Trichoderma) can be mixed in water and sprayed directly on the plants or slowly dripped continuously on the ground. Once the mixture is absorbed into the soil and reaches the roots, it protects the roots from the wilt disease bacteria.”
There have been no effective means of preventing the lettuce wilt disease. This microbial remedy is expected to significantly benefit lettuce farming, especially eco-friendly farming. The institute plans to supply the remedy to farmers from next year.
 
Article 7.Farming Loss Compensation Application Requirements to Be Mitigated (0224-2)

[Anchor’s Headline]
In Korea, rice farming, the leading agricultural undertaking, is protected by the government, which directly pays farmers compensation to guarantee a minimum selling price. From this year, the requirements for direct compensation will be mitigated to include small-scale farms.

[Report]
Wu has been a rice farmer for the past thirty years. With rice prices decreasing by 30 percent after the implementation of free trade agreements, Wu is now entirely dependent on direct government compensation.

▶ Wu Dong-hak / Rice Farmer, Hwaseong
“Compared to ten years ago, rice prices have decreased by 30 percent, while farming costs have increased by 200 percent. Direct compensation for rice prices has been paid to large-scale farms, but small farmers will be greatly relieved to receive it from this year.”
In addition to rice farming, the direct price compensation program also applies to other crops based on the duration of farming.
[CG]For rice farmers, the minimum farm size eligible for compensation has been reduced from 1 hectare to 0.1 hectares, and the minimum duration and amount of rice production to 1 year and KRW 1.2 million, respectively.
[CG-Partial]For farmers of other crops such as red peppers and beans, the minimum duration of farming has been reduced to 3 years.

▶ Park Jong-min / Director, Gyeonggi Province Eco-friendly Agriculture Division
“About 100,000 farmers received direct compensation last year. With mitigated requirements, the number is expected to increase by up to 30 percent.”

▶ Application for Direct Compensation to Be Received from March 2 until June 15
Applications for direct compensation must be made by the actual farmers at local public offices or at the National Agricultural Product Quality Management Service from March 2.

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