Greetings, everyone, and thank you for joining us for this week’s edition of GTV. I’m Don Valiant and this is the news from Gyeonggi Province this week. 1. Gyeonggi Launches Socioeconomic Minority Product Promotion Program (0720-3) Gyeonggi Province recently launched a support project for socioeconomic minority groups, including seniors and individuals with disabilities, who produce items known in Korea as social value products. Officially referred to in Korean as “Chak Chak Chak”, this project is geared to help such business groups with the creation of profits and jobs through the provision of product quality control and promotion assistance. ◇ 2. Gyeonggi Strengthens Middle-aged Welfare Policies (0722-2) In a press conference held on July 22, Gyeonggi Province Welfare Bureau Director General Lee Byeong-wu (이병우) announced that the province will strengthen welfare policies for middle-aged individuals and become a reliable supporter of a healthy and happy second-phase in their lives. Pursued under the official vision of “Vibrant, Healthy and Successful Middle-aged Lives”, related initiatives include the operation of diverse facilities exclusively for the middle-aged and the provision of more than 3,600 new jobs as well as mobile-app-based care services. ◇   3. Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Democratic Party Leader Declares “Gyeonggi-centered Era” (0720-1) In the 3rd general meeting of the 345th extraordinary session of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly, Assembly Member Park Geun-cheol (박근철) made his first address as floor leader of the Democratic Party and declared a “Gyeonggi-centered Era” He offered assurances that he would lead the arrival of the new era through communication and innovation. Expressing dissatisfaction with unfair treatment of Gyeonggi Province despite its leading national status in terms of population and production, he emphasized the need for the opening of a Gyeonggi-centered era in line with the province’s status. ► Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Democratic Party Leader Park Geun-cheol “It is time we seriously question if Gyeonggi Province, the national leader in population and production, is being treated fairly in terms of administration, organization and budgets. We must open a Gyeonggi-centered era that coincides with the status of the province.” ◇ 4. Gyeonggi Pursues Development of Eco-friendly Pest Control Methods (0721-1) Gyeonggi Province recently announced plans to develop gypsy moth control methods that are ecofriendly and protect forest ecosystems. These methods include traps with ecofriendly lures for adult moths, such as ultraviolet lights and pheromones, as well as glue-based traps installed between trees, which have been proven effective. In addition, control efforts will also include the eradication of eggs so as to prevent the recurrence of infestations next year. ► Gwon Yeong-dae, Deputy Director, Gyeonggi Province Forest Protection Team “Since the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions are more vulnerable to damage caused by chemicals such as insecticides, we believe that physical methods and other ecofriendly methods must be used.” ◇   5. Online Art Show and Auction Introduced in Gyeonggi (0720-2) On July 13, a real-time online art show and auction took place as part of the 2020 Art Gyeonggi campaign, which is being pursued jointly by Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation to promote the art market in the province. Organized in an online, untact format during the COVID-19 pandemic, this online art show and auction showcased diverse works in visual mediums, including paintings, sculptures and photographs, from 60 artists and 6 art dealers. This online event will run every other Monday from 9 p.m. via YouTube until the end of the year. Since anyone can participate in the auction during the live streaming of the show, these events are expected to help promote art collection culture. ◇ 6. Gyeonggi’s Employment Bridge Program for College Students Receives Positive Responses (0722-1) Gyeonggi Province has been operating its Employment Bridge Program to promote vocational courses at universities. This program is receiving positive responses from students. Developed through the cooperation of universities and enterprises, these courses, which include customized curricula for existing jobs, help resolve employment mismatches between job searchers and employers. ► Kim Byeong-man, Director, Gyeonggi Province Education Cooperation Division “This is an academia-industry cooperation program that encompasses student recruitment, curriculum development and course operation as well as on-site training. This program tailors students for jobs through 5 months of education and 5 months of on-site training without the need for unnecessary qualifications.” ◇ 7. Gyeonggi to Construct Rental and Social Housing Units for Non-homeowners (0723-1) Gyeonggi Province recently announced plans to construct long-term rental housing units for non-homeowners near subway stations in phase-3 new towns. These housing units will be designed to serve anyone who does not own their own home. The province also plans to introduce ‘social housing units’ that will be available at lower rental rates and with less complicated application criteria. ◇ Thank you for joining us for this week’s edition of GTV. We look forward to seeing you again next week.