Greetings,everyone,andthankyouforjoiningusforthisweek’seditionofGTV.
I’m Don Valiant and this is the news from Gyeonggi Province this week.

Article1.Gyeonggi’s 2015 SME Support Amounts to KRW 1.3 Trillion(0126-2)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Gyeonggi Province has finalized financial support plans for small and medium enterprises for this year. Our reporter examined the new features of this year’s support plans.

[Report]
This year’s small and medium enterprise – or SME –financial support plans will amount to KRW 1.3 trillion.

▶KRW 600 Billion for Operation Support plus KRW 700 Billion for Facility Investment Support
This amount consists of operation support of KRW 600 billion and facility investment support of KRW 700 billion.

▶Interest Rate Reduced by 0.4 points to 3.58%
The loan interest rate applied to enterprises with lower credit ratings will be reduced by 0.4percentage points to 3.58%.

▶Small Business Support Increased to KRW 55 Billion
▶Special Management Support Increased to KRW 10 Billion
The financial support fund for small businesses was increased to KRW 55 billion. Another support fund of KRW 10 billion was allocated to Prioritized Special Management Financing for second-time business start-up attempts.

▶Financial Applications from Northern Regions will Receive Priority Treatment
Enterprises that are located in or relocate to the northern regions of the province will receive priority treatment in their loan applications with ten extra application assessment points.

▶ [PiP]Hwang Jong-il / Chief Official, Gyeonggi Province Policy Funds Team
“We will provide differentiated support to smaller enterprises and those with lower credit ratings as well as to enterprises in northern Gyeonggi regions so as to promote balanced economic advancement.”
Gyeonggi Province also plans to adjust the support plan amounts and interest rates throughout the year so as to directly accommodate continuously changing economic and market conditions. 

Article2.Gyeonggi Province Strengthens Anti-Micro dust Measures(0127-2)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Increasing levels of atmospheric micro dust and the associated health hazards are causing serious public concern in Korea. To address this problem, Gyeonggi Province is strengthening its anti-micro dust measures.

[Report]
▶Micro dust Warning Issued on December 30, 2014
Following a nationwide micro dust alert a month ago, a warning was issued again for areas including Gyeonggi Province earlier this month.

▶GTV Reporter Choi Chang-sun
“The amount of micro dust in the air has been increasing even during the winter, a season that was previously considered relatively safe.”
Micro dust is comprised of particles so small –only two hundredths the thickness of a human hair – that it penetrates deep into the lungs without being filtered through the nasal passages.

▶More Micro-dust Measurement Posts to be Installed in Gyeonggi Province
Gyeonggi Province plans to install more micro dust measurement posts in the province.

▶[PIP]Kim Jeong-hwan / Official, Gyeonggi Province Air Quality Policy Team
“We will increase the number of micro dust measurement posts from the current 17 to 27 this year, and to 38 by next year.”

The ten measurement posts that were installed more than ten years ago will also be upgraded with new equipment.

▶260,000 Masks to be Distributed to Seniors and Children
260,000 anti-dust masks will be distributed among seniors and children in welfare facilities.

▶Crackdown on Pollutant Emission and Open Incineration
▶Promotion of Emission Control and Natural Gas Vehicles
Atmospheric pollutant emission and open incineration practices will be strictly prohibited, while the use of emission control devices and natural gas vehicles will be promoted.

▶Micro dust Warning Text Message Service (air.gg.go.kr)
To safeguard against this unwelcome visitor, which has been classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization, stay alert for micro dust warnings and wear a mask when appropriate.  

Article3.Gyeonggi Province Launches Ombudsman Service (0128-2)
[Anchor’s Headline]
On January 27,Gyeonggi Province appointed an ombudsman support team that represents public interests by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration and the violation of rights.

[Report]
▶Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex (January 27)
Gyeonggi Province Ombudsman Appointment Ceremony
The ombudsman service officially began after an appointment ceremony.

▶Ombudsman Helps Individuals Suffering from Unjust Administrative Treatment
Working independently of administrative bodies, ombudsmenoriginated in Sweden more than 200 years ago and have since spread to over a hundred nations. The organization of the Gyeonggi Province Ombudsman is based on related provincial ordinance that went into effect in 2013.

▶Hwang Ji-yeon / Chief, Gyeonggi Province Ombudsman
“Public service quality has improved a lot. However, there are still cases in which residents are inconvenienced or treated unfairly. Even simply listening to complaints will be a great help…”

▶7 Personnel Appointed as Ombudsmen
Consisting of seven personnel from academic, judicial and social sectors, the ombudsmen work on behalf of residents. They will investigate complaints stemming from transgressions committed by provincial or local authorities as well as public organizations.

▶Legal Violations to be Referred to Responsible Authorities for Review
The First Weekly of February
Any legal violations found as well as recommendations for remedial actions will be referred to the responsible authorities for review.

▶Byeon Yong-hyeon / Director, Gyeonggi Province Investigation Office
“Public services have been focusing more on the processing of applications. From now on, we will focus on the resolution of issues instead. The ombudsmen from various fields will listen to the smallest of the complaints and…”

▶Ombudsman Service Request Form: Gyeonggi Province Homepage (gg.go.kr)
Applications for the ombudsman service may be made in person or by downloading an application form from the Gyeonggi Province homepage and mailing it to the Ombudsman Support Team.
 

Article4.Gyeonggi Province Strengthens Job Creation Endeavors(1229-1)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Gyeonggi Province has set the ambitious target ofcreating199,000 jobs this year. However, since the labor market outlook for the year is less than favorable, Governor Nam Kyung-pil(남경필) has decided to oversee the management of job creation projects himself.

[Report]
The leading economic authorities of Korea forecast a slowdown in job creation this year.
[CG Overlap]The Bank of Korea forecasts only 50,000 jobs will be created this year while the Hyundai Research Institute forecasts 80,000 jobs.

▶Employment Restraint and Restructuring Expected in Korea This Year
Employment restraint and restructuring are the industrial trends expected this year by most forecasters.

▶[PiP]Lee Sang-bok / Director, Ministry of Employment Labor Market Policy Division
“Last year saw the creation of a large number of new jobs, but the industrial sector continued to face economic challenges, so it won’t be easy to create as many new jobs this year.”

▶Gyeonggi Province Strengthens Employment Project Management
Gyeonggi Province hopes to overcome such challenges through close management of employment projects overseen by Governor Nam himself.

▶Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex (January 28)
Monthly Employment Policy Meeting Chaired by Governor
In January, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government introduced a monthly employment policy meeting of officials and employment specialists. Chaired by Governor Nam, this meeting seeks the effective implementation of employment policies, and reconfirmed this year’s 199,000 job creation target.

▶Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil
“The most pressing task of the 6th Gyeonggi administration is to formulate realistic, Gyeonggi Province-specific employment policies and to achieve the job creation target.”
With the creation of 700,000 jobs targeted for the sixth provincial administration, Gyeonggi Province will develop job creation promotion strategies in a variety of ways. For example, the current number of jobs in the province will be indicated on all internal documents. Local governments that exhibit excellent job creation performances will be rewarded with additional support. Cooperation from private organizations will also be sought.
 

Article5.Gyeonggi Establishes Mudflat Research Center (0128-2)
[Anchor’s Headline]
The first tidal flat research center in Gyeonggi Province is slated to open in Ansan (안산) City. Also referred to as mudflats, tidal flats are important ecotems as well as major sources of income for local residents.

[Report]
▶Gyeonggi Province’s West Coast Tidal Flats –One of the World’s Largest
The tidal flats on the west coast of Gyeonggi Province cover 1.7 million hectares, making it the largest area of its kind in the world.

▶Research Center Necessary for Timely Responses to Shellfish Disease Outbreaks
There has long been a necessity for an institute to oversee effective control of shellfish disease outbreaks.

▶Sin Sang-cheol / Chief Official, Ansan City Seongam-dong Fishery Department
“There are frequent outbreaks of diseases among clams and other shellfish. However, it takes two months before we receive the requested investigation results, by which time it is too late.”
This research center will oversee the investigation of the marine life and habitats of the tidal flats in Gyeonggi Province.

▶Gyeonggi Mudflat Research Center to Open in 2016
The construction of this center will cost KRW 10.3 billion and will be completed in 2016.

▶Timely Disease Control and New Breed Development
In the past, coastal residents had to rely on the services of remote research facilities, which was inconvenient and invariably took too long to be helpful. This center, which will also engage in the development of new breeds for cultivation, will enable local residents to respond to shellfish diseases more quickly and help them increase their income.

▶Hong Seok-woo / Director, Gyeonggi Marine and Fishery Resources Research Center
“The development of new breeds and cultivation techniques became more important with the signing of FTAs. This research center will contribute greatly to increasing fishermen’s income.”

▶Gyeonggi to Establish Marine Product Safety Testing Laboratory and Ecological Education Center
Gyeonggi Province also plans to establish a marine product safety testing laboratory as well as an ecological education center so as to expand provincial marine research capabilities.
 
Article6.Designation of Gwangju Kilns as World Cultural Heritage Site (0129-2)
[Anchor’s Headline]
Gyeonggi Province plans to apply for preliminary registration of the Joseon-period white porcelain kilns in Gwangju (광주) City as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The possibilityof registration is regarded as very high.

[Report]
▶Joseon White Porcelain Kilns in Sinbeoncheon-dong, Gwangju
This 23-meter-by-2.2-meter brick structure was one of the kilns that produced the representative white porcelain of Korea’s Joseon (조선) Dynasty.

▶State-run Kilns Rare in World History
These kilns were managed directly by the royal court. Such cases are rare in world history.

▶GTV Reporter Lee tae-hui
“There are as many as 321 kilns in Gwangju City, all were managed directly by the central government of the Lee Dynasty.”

▶Gwangju Received Royal Pottery Appointment in mid-18th Century
In the mid-18th century, the kilns of Gwangju, endowed with resources ideal for porcelain production, were appointed as the royal pottery makers by King Yeongjo (영조). They were managed directly by the royal court until the end of the dynasty.

▶Jang Ki-hun / Director, Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum
Only weapon and ceramic production techniques were managed by the royal court. This shows how important the pottery industry was in Joseon Dynasty.”
The elegant white porcelain of the Joseon (조선) Dynasty is highly regarded for its artistic and historic values.

▶Gwangju Kiln Sites, Potential 4th World Cultural Heritage Site of Gyeonggi Province
If the white porcelain kilns of Gwangju (광주) City are successfully designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO, it will be the fourth such site in Gyeonggi Province.

▶[PiP]Kim Heung-sik / Gyeonggi Research Institute, Research Support Division
“We believe that the white porcelain kilns have an advantage in that they are valued as intangible as well as tangible assets.
Gyeonggi Province plans to begin necessary procedures for the realization of World Cultural Heritage Site preliminary registration by the end of this year.
 

Article7.Modern Art Exhibition for Children Held in Gyeonggi Province(0130)
[Anchor’s Headline]
The Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art opened a modern art exhibition for children. This exhibition has been designed to familiarize children with the world of art and features educational contents.

[Report]
▶Art Exhibition for Children:“Dream in a Frame”
To the eyes of young children, this artwork seems to be simply a strange arrangement of tree branches on the wall, but they are eager to understand what a guide says.

“When autumn comes, do you know what color tree leaves become?
“Red!”

This modern art exhibition, which was structured exclusively for children, features explanations provided in a way that is entertaining, as well as artwork that can be appreciated by touch. Children learn about art while they play.

▶Artwork Presented at Children’s Eye-level
Artwork is presented at the eye level of children so as to attract their interest.

▶Kim Ji-suk / Ansan Children’s Home Teacher
“I saw children listen to explanations and form their own ideas about art. I think I will try the same at the children’s home.”

This exhibition is accompanied with related educational programs intended to foster artistic interest among children.

▶[PiP]Jang Ji-yeong / Curator, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art
“We structured this exhibition in a way that allows children to appreciate modern art through activity-orientated programs.”

This exhibition makes it possible for children to grasp artistic concepts without sacrificing playfulness and provides them with the opportunity to expand their artistic imaginations.

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