Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is attending the 'Opportunity Capital Gyeonggi' Hand-in-Hand Talk held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Auditorium on July 15, openly conversing with the residents.
[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] "All problems in our lives are directly connected to more opportunities, more equitable opportunities, and better opportunities. If Gyeonggi Province becomes the 'Opportunity Capital,' it will bring revolutionary changes in all sectors including economy, education, welfare, culture, and administration. Then, opportunities to work, do business, start companies, study, love, and marry will overflow." (Excerpt from Governor Kim Dong-yeon's inaugural speech)
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon will mark his 100th day in office on the 8th. Since his inauguration on July 1, Governor Kim has been running tirelessly 24 hours a day to return 'more opportunities, more equitable opportunities, and better opportunities' to the residents of Gyeonggi Province.
Governor Kim's first 100 days are characterized by five keywords: economy, livelihood, global, communication and cooperation, and innovation.
◇Economic Governor... Striding to Secure Future Growth Engines
As his first economic move after taking office, Governor Kim successfully attracted the Applied Materials (AMAT) R&D center and the Onsemi advanced research institute in the United States. AMAT is the world's number one semiconductor equipment company, and Onsemi is the second-largest power semiconductor (PMIC) company for electric vehicles. With this, Gyeonggi Province achieved the remarkable feat of attracting research and production facilities of the world's top four semiconductor equipment companies.
In addition, Governor Kim achieved significant results such as the completion of the Pyeongtaek hydrogen production facility, which will serve as an advanced base for carbon emission reduction, the establishment of semiconductor clusters in Pangyo and Yongin, and the creation of a global medical and bio-innovation district at Seoul National University’s Siheung campus.
He also discussed investment attraction and economic cooperation plans with the World Korean Trade Association (World OKTA).
Since Governor Kim took office, achievements in targeting the global market have been emerging one after another. Gyeonggi Province participated in the '2022 Frankfurt Auto Parts Fair,' achieving export consultation results worth $83.62 million. It also laid the groundwork for pioneering new markets through events such as the '2022 Fall Las Vegas Consumer Goods Show,' 'K-Beauty Expo' (Taiwan, Indonesia), and the Hanoi International Baby & Kids Fair.
◇'Livelihood' Is the Non-Negotiable Top Administrative Philosophy
Governor Kim began his administration by skipping the inauguration ceremony and instead inspecting flood damage situations. He then prepared a comprehensive emergency economic response and livelihood stabilization plan to address pressing livelihood issues caused by inflation (rapid price increases), rising interest rates, and sharp fluctuations in the won-dollar exchange rate due to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.
The comprehensive plan included 100 billion won in financial support to stabilize the management of small business owners and SMEs and to resolve temporary funding difficulties, 20 billion won in special management funds for SMEs in the province, and 10 billion won in re-challenge hope special guarantees for small debtors and re-entrepreneurs.
Governor Kim also extended the operating hours of nine major metropolitan bus routes in the Seoul metropolitan area until 2 a.m. and planned to expand the quasi-public bus system to all routes in the province’s cities and counties.
Furthermore, the meal allowance for children at risk of food insecurity was raised by 14.3%, from 7,000 won to 8,000 won per meal. To prevent tragic cases like the 'Suwon three mothers' incident from recurring, an emergency welfare hotline directly under the governor’s office was established. Within 41 days of its opening, the hotline supported 218 people on the brink of crisis.
Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center and the bus union strike mediation also resulted in protecting residents’ health and transportation convenience.
◇The World Turns to Gyeonggi Province... A Global City Emerges
Since Governor Kim’s inauguration, foreign diplomatic envoys have been visiting Gyeonggi Province one after another. It is widely believed that Governor Kim’s personal diplomatic network, built during his tenure as Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, has shone through.
Colin Crooks, British Ambassador to Korea, visited Gyeonggi Province to discuss expanding cooperation in the field of climate change. Michael Reiffenstuel, German Ambassador to Korea, met with Governor Kim to expand exchanges in eco-friendly technology and startup companies. Boris Tadi?, former President of Serbia, met with Governor Kim to promote economic, cultural, and artistic exchanges.
Other visitors included Chap Peterson, Virginia State Senator, and Tamara Mohyini, Acting Canadian Ambassador to Korea.
◇Informal 'Communication' and 'Cooperation' for Residents
After taking office, Governor Kim renamed the Gyeonggi Governor’s official residence to 'Dodamso,' meaning 'a space embracing residents,' and opened it to the public to strengthen communication with residents.
Governor Kim also maintained informal communication with restaurant owners he met during meals, local residents he encountered on the street, small and medium-sized business owners, foreign investors, public servant unions, janitors and security guards, out-of-home youth, and cultural artists.
To address the redevelopment of first-phase new towns and the aging housing issues in old downtown areas, he personally visited Bundang and Ilsan in August and the old downtown area of Anyang in September to have candid conversations with local residents.
This unique communication approach by Governor Kim extended to cooperative governance beyond factional politics with the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, 31 cities and counties within the province, metropolitan area local governments, and Chungcheongnam-do.
He first declared policy cooperation with the Gyeonggi Provincial Council. He also mediated and resolved conflicts between Yongin City and Seongnam City over traffic improvement issues around the frequently congested Gogi Bridge.
Governor Kim met twice in July and September with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, leading to agreements on jointly resolving issues such as metropolitan landfill sites and metropolitan transportation network construction. Additionally, he signed a business agreement with Chungcheongnam-do for mutual development of the two regions, including fostering export bases to China at Pyeongtaek and Dangjin ports.
◇Breaking Taboos with 'Kim Dong-yeon Style Innovation'
After taking office, Governor Kim broke existing conventions by publicly recruiting his chief secretary, establishing the position of Deputy Governor for Economy, and opening the governor’s residence as a communication space for residents.
He also directly ordered the creation of a 'Red Team,' a system where public officials can candidly voice criticisms from the residents’ perspective. This was based on the judgment that a new culture where any employee can speak their mind would breathe new life into the organization.
Governor Kim’s 100-day journey has been highly evaluated as laying the foundation for the 'Opportunity Capital Gyeonggi Province.'
A provincial official stated, "Governor Kim has given residents a fresh shock through his efforts in economy, livelihood, global affairs, communication and cooperation, and innovation since taking office. Gyeonggi Province will strive to provide more opportunities, more equitable opportunities, and better opportunities in line with Governor Kim’s administrative slogan, 'Gyeonggi, the center of change and opportunity.'"
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