1. [Rehabilitation Program Award]
Gyeonggi Province is going to change its method of funding rehabilitation programs for the disabled. Formerly, the expenditures were paid in a lump sum. However, the new plan will only support those facilities chosen through public contributions and award ceremonies.
Gyeonggi Province has carried out public contributions and award ceremonies to promote provincial rehabilitation facilities to discover and foster high-quality programs.
The purpose of the change from lump-sum payments to the new method is to support novel and creative projects that reflect the desires of the handicapped.

Evaluates the process and several elements of the program; evaluates the middle stage feedback and final efficiency of the last stage.

Gyeonggi Province has chosen six predominant facilities such as the Anyang Suri Community Rehabilitation Center through a final evaluation of disabled rehabilitation programs in 2007 and offered a cash prize of ten million won.

An underwater physical fitness program and vocational education programs are run to aid disabled person’s everyday and help improve their social lives

The new system would probably contribute to positive outcomes of disabled people by introducing competition among the facilities.

2. [No More Obstacles!]
The prospect of provincial company management is getting better. Gyeonggi Province has concluded ‘Deal to Handle Obstacles for companies’ in order to construct collaborative ties among 18 main facilities of the ‘Companies SOS support group’
On December seventeenth, Gyeonggi Province has concluded a ‘Deal to Handle Obstacles for Companies’ at a briefing room of the provincial office while chiefs of economic facilities and provincial public institutions were attending.
This agreement ceremony is to find a collaborative management plan for frequent holdups of companies by building a collaborative relationship among 18 main facilities of the ‘Companies’ SOS support group.’
After this deal goes into effect, these 18 facilities would discuss important issues that require policy cooperation at their annual leader meetings.
Cooperation is the most important factor in avoiding obstacles for companies because of the peculiar factors related to complex problems. Therefore Gyeonggi Province established a customized enterprise system to deal with the obstacles, and organized a ‘Companies’ SOS support group’ last April.
It is anticipated that Gyeonggi Province took one step closer toward its goal of creating a province where it is easy to run a business through this company obstacle resolving signing ceremony.

3. [School Uniform Costs]
Some families find it hard to afford even the expense of school uniforms; Icheon is going to provide support for school uniform costs to recipient families for basic livelihood security.
Icheon city decided to provide the total school uniform fees for all freshmen from recipient families for basic livelihood security starting from 2008.
Although the city has been supporting recipient families for basic livelihood security financially by providing tuition, entrance fees, and auxiliary text book expenses, expensive school uniforms were an economic burden for those families because it was not provided by the province.
We visited a family who received the school uniform support.
Lee Mi Ran, a house wife, uses a 19-hole briquette-fired boiler because of the skyrocketing oil prices and is managing the household all by her self, while working at a restaurant.

There are many things I must spend money on, so this aid on school uniforms would be a great help for me.

Although there are nine cities in Gyeonggi such as Hwaseong and Seongnam which partially fund school uniforms, Icheon was the first to provide the total fees of school uniforms.

4. [A Fast Commute!]
How long did it take to get to work today? In the past drivers must have felt frustrated being stuck in traffic. But Hak Ui JC, notorious for heavy traffic, is going to see some changes.
The chronic traffic congestion near the Hak Ui JC, the intersection of the Seoul Ring Road and the local 309 Uiwang/Gwacheon Toll Road, will be settled in the near future.
In order to resolve the traffic congestion near Hak Ui JC, Gyeonggi Province clarified that they would widen the ramp from one to two lanes.
Cars had to wait in line to get through a one lane ramp that connects the Seoul Ring Road to a road in Gwacheon near Hak Ui JC, a section that is frequently congested because of a large inflow of cars during rush hour.
Moreover, many users complained about the long wait in the tunnel connecting Gwacheon to Uiwang.
Therefore the province plans to widen the road from Uiwang-Gwacheon to the Hak Ui IC ? Cheongsa IC from 4 lanes to 8 lanes for about 4.08km by next March.

5. [More Low-Floor buses]
Low floor buses, for the conveniences of the elderly and the disabled persons are to increase in number. Gyeonggi Province has decided to introduce 78 more low-floor buses.
Low floor buses will cater to the elderly and disabled persons
These kinds of buses are at a lower height than general buses and have an inclination-adjustable slanted plane instead of stairs.
Since they are eco-friendly buses that run on natural gas instead of oil, low floor buses are supported by many Local Authority Foundations.
Currently, there are about 200 low-floor buses in 14 different cities and districts in Gyeonggi Province. Moreover, 74 more are planned to be included in the intra-city bus and cross-country bus routes.
But, one detriment of the buses is that they are twice as expensive as normal buses.
Gyeonggi Province is going to replace 38 percent of all the buses in the province with low- floor buses. In order to be less of a burden from this project, the province is going to pay the balance to relevant cities and districts and introduce a new kind of low floor- bus that are better suited for use in Korea by 2009.

6. [Gyeongin Hit Products]
The hit products must have met consumers’ demands have been chosen from hundreds of new products out there. Let’s take a look at what products have been attractive to consumers in the second half of 2007.
The 2007 Gyeongin hit products of third and fourth quarter that sold well both on and off line were presented with awards.
Samsung electronics’ laptop computer and Sense Q45 were the recepients for the Gyeongin Hit Product general award.
This year, many simple and creative products rose to the level of a hit product.
Residential products especially, that kept the pace with the new residential culture were selected as hit products. Moreover, hit service products related to wellbeing and leisure reaffirmed the popularity of a healthy life style.
Most products that were hot among consumers this year were products that hung on to wellbeing and high-quality.

7. [Kleingarten(Allotment Garden)]]
It is now possible to farm in the greater Seoul area. Villa-like weekend farms that have been created in Gyeonggi Province face a great demand by people seeking to own such a farm.
Kleingarten, or Allotment Gardens, a Villa-like weekend farms, was created
in the greater Seoul area for the first time in Yangpyeong and Yeoncheon.
Gyeonggi Province advertised for future tenants for five Kleingartens at Yangpyeong-gun Cheongun-myeon Yeomul-ri and Yeoncheon-gun Baekhak-myeon Gumi-ri to be leased on an annual basis.
About 1300 people responded to the advertisement and through a competition ratio of 134 to 1, ten final tenants were chosen through a direct election by town residents.
Kleingarten’s distinguishable features are a wooden villa with a field where one could raise vegetables and herbs. Unlike normal weekend farms where one could only cultivate the land during the day and have to return home at night, people could stay at their farm over night.
Annual rent is between 3 and 3.2million won. The villa has semi-double floors with a bathroom and a kitchen, and the field is to be managed by native residents and the tenants.

The urban residents and the town residents can live together and exchange information.

Kleingarten is looking forward to becoming popular among urban residents who seek a healthy lifestyle. 30 Kleingartens are to be created in each province totaling 100 by 2010.