1. Overseas Trade Exhibitions, Gateways to International Markets for Small & Medium Companies

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There are an increasing number of smallmedium-sized companies participating in trade exhibitions overseas. Gyeonggi Provinceinviting these companies to apply for support for 70% of the cost of participation to help them launch their products in international markets.

[Report]
Gyeonggi Provincethe Gyeonggi Small & Medium Business Center announced that the invitation of applications for the Support of Participation in 2011 Overseas Trade Exhibitionsnow open to companies in Gyeonggi Province.

The purpose of this supportto help companies in Gyeonggi Province expand their presence in international markets.

To qualify for support, a company should be located in Gyeonggi Provincehave achieved export sales of less than USD 10 million last year. A total of 140 ed companies will be entitled to supportGyeonggi Province for the costs of booth rental, equipmentone-way transportation

Initial applications with business summaries were received online until October 18th through the homepage of the Gyeonggi Export Support System (http://trade.gg.go.kr),supplementary documents were receivedthe Gyeonggi Small & Medium Business Center. Last year, the Gyeonggi Small & Medium Business Center supported the participation of 174 companies in international trade exhibitionshelped secure a substantial number of sales contracts.

2. Korean Sports Stars Acknowledge People’s Love with Volunteer Work

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Do you remember former Korean sports starswrestler Kim Won-gi (김원기), boxer Jang Jeong-gu (장정구)high jumper Lee Jin-teak (이진택)? They bolstered national glory in international competitions,now they are volunteering to help seniors who live alone or in adverse situations.

[Report]
Korean Olympic medalists of the past visited the Anyang (안양) Senior Welfare Center on January 15th. They are busy kneading flourmaking noodles for jajangmyeon (자장면), a noodle dish for the seniors living in needy situations.

‘Partakers,’ an Olympic Medalists’ Club, has been providing volunteer services to people with disabilitieshomeless people at least once a month since the formation of the club in 1998.

Lovecareclearly evidentthe way these star athletes carry bowls of jajangmyeon (자장면) to the invited seniors, showing their gratitude for the love they received.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo also participated in the volunteer work todaydelivered food to seniors without families nearbyhelped the sports stars with the preparation of jajangmyeon (자장면).

Gyeonggi Province has been endeavoring in many ways to improve the welfare status of underprivileged citizenswill continue to lead efforts together with the ambassadors of the Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) Welfare Servicesports stars.

3. Taiwanese Visited Jangja Village to Witness Success Story

[News Script]
Gyeonggi Province announced the launch of the ‘Happy Villages Building Project’ to provide sociallyculturally isolated residents with continuing education. Happiness Learning Centers were opened in Jangja (장자) Village in Pocheon (포천)Daon(다온) Village in Yeoncheon (연천). The heartwarming story of these Hansen villages has spread as far as Taiwan,lifelong education officials of Taipei flew over to witness it firsthand.

[Report]
Public officials of Taipei who work in lifelong education visited Jangja (장자) Village in Pocheon (포천).

This visit was arranged at the request of the Education Bureau of Taipei, which has shown interest in the ‘Happy Village Building Project’ of Gyeonggi Province.

Listening to the introduction of Jangja (장자) Village, the Taiwanese officials showed keen interest in the Korean education model of providing continuing education to sociallyculturally isolated citizens as well as a renewed sense of hope.

Since the opening of the Happiness Learning Center in Jangja (장자) Village, a settlement of former Hansen’s disease patients, in June, the villagers have been able to taste a sense of achievement, overcome social discriminationcommunicate with the outside world.

Gyeonggi Province will continue to introduce the concept of Happiness Learning Centers to domesticinternational education officials,plans to build five more centers in Hansen villages in the cities of Yangju (양주)Namyangju (남양주) as well as in villages of KoreansSakhalin in Ansan (안산)Paju (파주).

4. Headquarters of Muhandolbom Centers Opens in New Location

[News Script]
Established as the first joint welfare organization of publicprivate sector participants, Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) centers have been providing support for a large number of families in difficult situations,the number of the centers has grown to 29. The headquarters of the Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) centers has moved to a new location in the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex.

[Report]
The headquarters of the Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) centers, which had previously been operating in the Gyeonggi Welfare Center, moved to the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complexcommenced services at the new location so as to facilitate work with the 29 centers in the provinceimprove convenience for provincial residents.

Previously, when the Gyeonggi Welfare Center made a request for supportthe provincial government, the provincial government then relayed the request to the local centers concerned. It was cumbersomecostly both in terms of distanceprocedures.

Gyeonggi Province appointed six officialsadministrative support personnel to the headquarters to provide consultationmonitoring services to local centers.

Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) centers provide more than 250 welfare services including medicalemployment services to families requiring assistance.

The opening of the new headquarters will contribute to the improvement of Muhandolbom (무한돌봄) welfare servicesproviding more attentive, customized services through the simplification of administrative procedures.

5, University New Deal Program Becomes Regular College Course

[News Script]
It’s vacation time now, but many senior university students area hard time preparing job applications. Gyeonggi Province has successfully raised the employment rate of university graduates in the province with the University New Deal Program.

[Report]
The University New Deal Program, a special university student employment training program, has been implemented among universities in the province. It has now become a regular first semester course in the 4th year as an employment support course.

Initially, twelve four-year universities including Kyung Hee (경희) UniversityKyunggi (경기) University,five two-year colleges including Bucheon (부천) Universitythe Doowon (두원) Technical University College will accommodate this program in their regular curriculum.

The duration of the program will be extended to 30 hours over sixteen weeks including intensive consultationan in-house employment consultant. Other universities, which already are operating a variety of programs for the employment of students, have also shown considerable interest in the University New Deal Program.

When a studentemployed as a regular employee or initially as an intern, a stipend of KRW 800,000 per month will be paid to the student for three months.

Out of 1,295 participants, a total of 977 successfully found jobs after the UND program last year, marking a very high employment rate of 76%. This program will now become a more substantial tool for students facing the challenge of finding employment.

6. Use G-marked Products for Lunar New Year Holidays

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Consumer prices have been increasing as the Lunar New Year closes in,the worries of households are deepening. The Gyeonggi Agriculture & Forestry Development Foundation launched a campaign to reduce the burden of preparing for these traditional holidays.

[Report]
As the Lunar New Year holiday, the biggest traditional Korean holiday, approaches, the prices of food ingredientsfamily memorial service equipment have soared, adding to the worries of households.

The impact of foot-and-mouth disease has caused some of the greatest damage in history,the prices of beefpork have skyrocketed.

Gyeonggi Provincethe Gyeonggi Agriculture & Forestry Development Foundation are operating a ‘Special Agricultural Products for Holiday Gifts’ campaign for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Farmers who participate in this campaign will supply their produce at prices that are 10 to 40% lower than market prices.

Sinceitems in this campaign can be home delivered,there are a wide variety of products to choose from, this campaign will also help in the preparation of giftsthe ancestor-memorial service foods.

Gift sets can be ordered until January 28th. Orders are received either online through the homepage of the Gyeonggi Agriculture & Forestry Development Foundation or at the Agricultural Marketing Department of the foundation.

7. Medical Consultation on Mobile Public Service Train

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What we could access medical consultation servicesformer general hospital doctors on a running train? The Gyeonggi Province Public Service Train provides a high caliber medical consultation service.

[Report]
The Gyeonggi Province 24/365 Public Service Train began operation of a medical consultation service. Every SaturdaySunday, former doctors of general hospitals in Gyeonggi Province will standby as medical consultants on the Public Service Train. The president of the Dongkuk University Oriental Hospital, Doctor Gu Byeong-soo (구병수), boarded the Public Service Train on January 15thprovided medical consultation services to the passengers. One senior passenger willingly missed the destination station as the consultation was as meticulous as in a hospital.

Provision of the medical consultation service on the Public Service Trainexpected to receive continued positive responsessenior citizens.

The Gyeonggi Province Public Service Train began operation on November 29th last year to provide the world’s first administrative services on a moving transportation medium. There are also civil document dispensers, a librarya special provincial agricultural products sales booth. This trainan example of the mobile administrative services of Gyeonggi Province,will continue to accommodate more diverse services to meet the needs of residents.