[A City Forest Festival!]

The City Mulhyanggi Arboretum, which has gained much popularity as an all natural place of recreation, held a colorful 2 year anniversary commemoration.

The City Mulhyanggi Arboretum, full of greenery! In this place about 1600 different species of live plants give joy to visitors. Families took outings to the City Forest Festival within the City Mulhyanggi Arboretum that has now been in operation for 2 years.

Flowers emitting various rays of color, and a wood deck built amidst dense forest offers a resting place for guests.

The deck in the shade is a nice place to rest, complementing the facilities, it\’s seems like a good improvement

On one end of the arboretum at the Macsabal Woodfire Festival hands-on center, a father and child seem to be having such a good time while shaping clay on a spinning wheel.

It\’s not that easy to make sabal, but being here with my kid is fun and enjoyable for the both of us

The City Mulhyanggi Arboretum after just 2 years! Formed as an ecosystem that is close to the city, the visitors seem to just keep coming.

[Tree Nursery Built in North Korea]

For some time Gyeonggi province has held support policies for North Korea including making rice farming cooperative farms, and providing rice and bare necessities creating a relationship of trust. This time the province has stepped forward in helping the North in forestation efforts.

In the area around Gaepung Dong, Gaeseong, North Korea, lies a tree nursery in which both the North and South will raise saplings. The nursery was completed on the 13th by Gyeonggi Province after 1 year of construction, and is equipped with 3 greenhouses, and solar power equipment.

Saplings will begin to be raised at the Gaeseong nursery starting from next year. From 2011 more than 1.5 million pine trees and lily trees will be mass produced expected to help the afforestation efforts in the North.

Further, reviving the presently bare mountains and forests would reduce flooding that often reoccurs due to a lack of trees, and is expected to also aid with crop production.

Gyeonggi plans to drive a joint afforestation project while driving the prevention of damage from blight and harmful insects in the mountains and forests.

[Joint Extermination of Malaria!]

Following a joint extermination of disease in the areas of North Korea and Gyeonggi Province, the necessary items for joint extermination work were delivered to the North.

Trucks lined up in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office! They are full of atomizing disinfecters and manual sprayers. $134,800 worth of insecticide and other necessary items for extermination are loaded in. Last March, Gyeonggi and North Korea mutually consented to rid their regions of malaria through joint efforts to exterminate the disease. As a result extermination materials will be sent to North Korea on the 15th.

I am very glad to stand up for our residents inn the project to exterminate the malaria-carrying mosquitos that are crossing the armistice line, and I feel that it is a well-planned project to protect our resident\’s health, and prevent illness.

In the near future in the frontier district during the 4 unyielding months of Malaria, June through September, North and South will carry out the extermination on a mutually agreed date. The vehicles loaded with extermination material in aid head towards Gaeseong! It is a moment when Gyeonggi Province, and North Korea accomplished an exchange.

[Police Station Changes!]

With people working at different hours of the day, government and municipal offices that operate at fixed times are inconvenient for many. Some government and municipal offices are breaking the mold with new work hours that are gaining much attention.

At seven o\’clock the sun is about to set! However, at the entrance of the police station a 24 hour civil appeals office is now open. Since May 6th 24 hour civil appeals offices open 365 days of the year opened in 35 police stations across the province.

There are many cases of company employees or dual income households where it is difficult for either spouse to stop by in the day. So we are extending our work hours to 24 hours.

There are many people today who are making use of the 24 hour civil appeals center.

I didn\’t have any time so I just came late, before I wouldn\’t have been able to stop by, but now that they\’re open late I\’m glad I was able to get my temporary license.

Further, civil works that are not processed here are sent to the relevant office helping it become a one-stop solution for civil appeals. Last March in Ansan, Gyeonggi was the first local autonomy in the nation to run it\’s community centers 24 hours. As a result Gyeonggi Police is continuing to make changes in administrative service for the convenience of residents.

[On Through to the West Sea]

A local road connecting Tando, Ansan to Songsan, Hwaseong has recently opened. This will make it faster and easier to reach the west sea.

Local road 318, which will connect Tando, Seon-gam Dong, Ansan to Yukil-ri, Songsan-myeon, Hwaseong was opened on the 9th with a completion ceremony. Gyeonggi poured $85.9 million into this project which began in April, 2002, but were able to complete the project 2 months earlier than expected.

Of the 8.8km of road 4.5km of road stretching from Seon-gam dong, Ansan to Seoshin-myeon, Hwaseong underwent road expansion from 2 lanes to 4, with the other 4.3km of road being newly built. It is expected to reduce travel time by 10 minutes while studies show a benefit of about $9.5 million in saved gas consumption and in environmental costs thanks to the new route.

It is also expected to benefit motorists coming to see the Gyeonggi International Boat Show and the World Yacht Contest which will be held this June. The recent opening of the road is expected to greatly help west sea tourism development bounce back with an increase in tourists stimulating the regional economy.

[Doing away with regulations!]

When regulations get in the way causing discomfort for many, it can be frustrating. The Gyeonggi Regulations Report Center is drawing much attention processing frustrating civil appeals .

The village bus that runs from Suwon Science College to Suwon Station is used by many residents in Hwaseong and the surrounding areas. In the past, this bus used an embankment road. But that road has now become very narrow making it inconvenient and very dangerous for passengers.

Last April an appeal requesting the route be changed was accepted at the Gyeonggi Regulations Report Center.
Gyeonggi succeeded in carrying out an assessment of the site, and obtaining mutual consent from the related public agencies to change the route by way of a southwestern detour.

This became the first model of improving regulations in everyday life. Likewise, the Gyeonggi Regulations Report Center, which processes reported inconveniences experienced in everyday life, or due to business activity, has accepted 19 appeals in a one month trial period since it opened last April.

The province is working on what can be solved quickly, is discussing parts that require cooperation between cities and related agencies, and is proposing to make institution improvement a priority.

Now, through the Gyeonggi Regulations Report Center different regulations that are a burden to residents are expected be quickly solved.

[The Future of the Tourism Industry]

Tourism experts and those working in the tourism industry had a meeting. It was a meeting to enhance the competitive edge of tourism in Gyeonggi Province.

Experts in the industry put their heads together to develop the tourism industry at Jeongok port along the west sea coast. At the first tourism industry competitive enhancement meeting different views were heard about taking advantage of the opportunities of the west coast, with the venue of the boat show and yacht contest, Jeongok Port, is to be built up as a center for this industry.

Further, through this policy meeting the province plans to create policy taking into account the views gathered at the meeting and actual circumstances of the industry. In addition Gyeonggi Province, and the Korean Tourism Organization concluded an MOU relating with the tourism industry.

There is a plan for the two agencies to collaborate from now on in works to attract tourists, for development and for promotion efforts domestically and abroad.