1. New Year’s Meeting of 2011 GTX Forum

[News Script]
As full-scale implementation of the GTX project nears, the New Year’s meeting of the 2011 GTX Forum was held to discuss the schedule of the GTX project for the year.

[Report]
Following the incorporation of GTX lines into national projects on the 19th of last month, a forum was held to discuss the schedule of the GTX project for 2011.

During this meeting, which was held as a New Year’s social event for shared familiarization, 27 specialists in railroadurban science were nominated as additional members of the GTX Forum.

In a subsequent presentation, one of the newly nominated members of the forum, Professor Shin Ho-chang (신호창) of Seogang (서강) University, proposed promotion strategies that can be employed to respond to critical arguments against the GTX project.

Professor Shin stated that negative views on GTX may diminish the opinions of opponents are actively soughtconsidered.

The GTX forum was held seven times last year, but the provincial government decided to make it a regular meeting that will convene once every two months. It was also decided to operate a team of advisors consisting of specialistsrelated areas.
Gyeonggi Province has now geared up to commence the construction of GTX lines in 2012complete the work2017.

2. Economy of Gyeonggi ProvinceKey to Korean National Growth
[News Script]
The rate of foreign direct investment in Gyeonggi Province, which was 21% until the mid-2000s, has recently plummeted to just over 10%. Since the securing of investment in the province will have a direct effect on continuous national growth as the provincethe center of national economyindustry, a political forum was held to promote investment in the province

[Report]
The Gyeonggi Research Institute hosted a political forum for the promotion of investment in Gyeonggi Province.

In a presentation, Hwang Sang-yeon (황상연), a researcher at the Gyeonggi Research Institute, pointed out that investment in the provinceforeigners as well aslocal companies has declined,emphasized the necessity for new strategies to recover the competitiveness of the province in securing investment.

Hwang suggested that localforeign companies shouldbe segregated in the provision of investment incentives,that investment inducement efforts should focus on companies that possess advanced technologies that can contribute to industrial advancement as well as on those that will jobs beyond a certain minimum scale. He also argued that deregulation in the capital areaessential for the inducement of companies into the province so as to counteract the current trend of local companies moving their factories to overseas locations.
Gyeonggi Province has been continuously endeavoring to secure investmentforeign companiestransform the province into favorable place for business activities.

3. Welfare Sites Hold Key to Resolving Welfare Disputes
[News Script]
‘Welfare’ has become a word that we hear frequently these days as Korea becomes an affluent society. Officials of Gyeonggi Province, which has been emphasizing the need for ‘customized welfare’ in particular, visited welfare service sites to see the current status of welfarethe perspective of needs.

[Report]
ThisGreen Partners Company in Jeongwang-dong (정왕동) of Siheung (시흥) City.

This companya typical society-conscious company that employs 30 elderly workers over the age of 65. These senior citizens work here 8 hours a day collecting recyclable items for a monthly salary of KRW 900,000.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo(김문수) visited the work site of this companytalked with elderly workers about senior-related social issues such as jobs for senior citizensthe problems of seniors living alone without family members.

Governor Kim stressed that itmore important to listen to voices onsiteto put customized welfare into practice rather than disputing welfare issues at the table.

On-site listening continued at the Hanwool (한울) Community for People with Disabilities, a welfare facility in Yongin (용인) City for individuals with disabilities. Staying overnight at this facility with 25 mentally disadvantaged residents, Governor Kim participated in resident carehad discussions with welfare specialists regarding the shortage of household facilities for people with disabilities

Gyeonggi Provinceoperating the 24/365 Public Service CentersPublic Service Train in heavy traffic areas to provide provincial residents with civil services including welfare consultation service.

4. More Civilian Shelters in Northern Gyeonggi Province
[News Script]
Gyeonggi Province will construct additional civilian shelters to provide residents in the northern frontier areas with safe refuges for use in the event of military aggressionNorth Korea.

[Report]
In preparation for possible hostile actionsNorth Korea, such as the recent sinking of the navy corvette Cheonan (천안)the bombardment of Yeonpyeong(연평) Island, Gyeonggi Province plans to build additional civilian shelters to ensure the safety of residents.

Initially, a total of 32 villages near the northern border will have new shelters installed at locationsthe provincial government can acquire land lots for construction: 12 villages in Gimpo (김포) City, 12 villages in Paju (파주) City8 villages in Yeoncheon (연천) County.

Areas vulnerable to possible military aggressionNorth Korea will be prioritized for the construction of shelters,the construction projects will take into account the opinions of local residentscircumstances.

There are a total of 3,908 civilian shelters in Gyeonggi Province, mostly in urban areas, that are managedthe provincial government

Gyeonggi Province has been providing support for the restoration of Yeonpeong (연평) Island, including a donation of KRW 500 million. The provincial government will continue to work closely with the militaryrespond quickly to emergency situations so as to safeguard the livesproperty of residents against possible surprise attacksNorth Korea.

5. Gyeonggi Province Supports Mechanized Farming
[News Script]
The Gyeonggi Province Agricultural Research & Extension Services opened farm machine operator training courses so as to help farmers in the province undertake their agricultural activities more convenientlyreliably.

[Report]
As a step toward transforming the 400,000-large agricultural population of Gyeonggi Province into practitioners of mechanized farming, the Gyeonggi Province Agricultural ResearchExtension Services has set up farm machine operator training coursesinvites applications.

These training courses will be provided initially to three consecutive groups of trainees with 30 trainees in each group. The training of the first group willon March 7th. Applications can be madethe employees of agricultural companies, individuals who resume oragricultural pursuits, farm managers, women farmersfarm inheritors under 65 years of age living in Gyeonggi Province

The courses will focus on practical training such as the troubleshootingmaintenance of common farm machines including cultivators, rice-planting machines, harvesters,tractors as well as basic operation training.

Trainingfree of chargeapplications may be submitted directly to the instructors or to the education personnel at local agricultural technology centers.

The Gyeonggi Province Agricultural ResearchExtension Service will continue to develop a variety of educational programs to teachtrain the operation of farm machines in cooperation with local agricultural technology centers.

6. Free General Health Checkup for Marriage-based Immigrant Women
[News Script]
Foreign women who are married to Korean menliving in Gyeonggi Province will receive a general health checkup free of charge.

[Report]
3,500 foreign immigrant women who are married toliving with Korean husbands in Gyeonggi Province will be provided with a free health checkup service that consists of 23 medical tests including basic examinations, a breast cancer testa gastroscopic test.

Endometrial cancerparasite tests are also included among the test items this year.

According to the results of the same program last year, women in their 30s40s were found to have the most medical issues including, in order, kidney diseases found in 9.8%gastric diseases in 6.5% as well as hyperlipidemiathyroidal diseases.

30,000 marriage immigrant women live in Gyeonggi Province, accounting for 26% of the national total. Gyeonggi Province will expand medical support for the increasing number of marriage immigrant women.

The free health checkup program will provide a foundation for healthycomfortable lives for foreign marriage immigrant women in the province.

7. Love-Gyeonggi Card for Muhandolbom Service Recipients
[News Script]
While donation culturebooming as a widespread social phenomena, Gyeonggi Province introduced a bank card to support Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) welfare service recipients

[Report]
In order to propagate donation culture, Gyeonggi Province introduced the Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) Love-Gyeonggi Card in collaboration with Hankuk DailyKB Card.

The Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) Love-Gyeonggi Cards are issued at local branches of KB Kookmin (국민) Bank. For each new card subion, KRW10,000 will be credited to the Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) fund; thereafter, an equivalent of 0.2% of the amount of card charges will be accumulatedcredited to Muhandolbom (무한돌봄).

On launching day, Gyeonggi Province delivered 2,200 card applicationsthe employees of the provincial offices including Governor Kim Moon-soo (김문수), which generated of KRW 22 million for the Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) fund.

The holders of the Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) Love Gyeonggi Card are entitled to a variety of discount benefits including KRW100 per liter of gasoline, KRW 1,000 off monthly mobile phone charges20% off entrance fees at various performance facilitiesforest gardens.

Any Gyeonggi resident can apply for this card at any branch of KB Kookmin (국민) Bankthe cardoffered as the “Love-My-Hometown Card”.

The funds collected will be delivered to families in the second low-income brackets with less income than 170% of the basic cost of living in the form of cash or goods.

The more the cards are issuedused, the more the loveGyeonggi Province will be delivered to the recipient families of Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) welfare services.