[Metro24] Kim Dong-yeon Premium

'Kim Dong-yeon Premium'

These were the words of Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon during a phone interview with a broadcasting company on the 15th. Governor Kim worked at the World Bank for three years in the early 2000s. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance from 2017 to 2018. The "premium" Kim referred to is summarized as his solid overseas network and expertise as a real economy specialist gained through over 40 years of public service in economic departments.

Last July, Colin Crooks, the British Ambassador to Korea, visited Governor Kim. Ambassador Crooks was the person in charge of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Korea in 1999. The meeting was arranged because Ambassador Crooks wished to greet Governor Kim upon his inauguration. Subsequently, Ambassador J?rgen Reiffenstuel of Germany (August), Ambassador Goldberg of the United States (November), and Ambassador Xing Haiming of China (December) visited Gyeonggi Province. This year, Australian Ambassador Catherine Raper also met with Governor Kim. In just six months since his inauguration, ambassadors from the U.S., U.K., Germany, and China have visited Gyeonggi Province. According to Gyeonggi officials, this is unprecedented.

Governor Kim is also receiving "investment love calls" from leading global companies. Global semiconductor firms such as Applied Materials, Lam Research, ASML, and KLA have promised investments since Governor Kim took office. His global personal network, built through his time as Deputy Prime Minister and overseas work, played a significant role. Riding this momentum, Governor Kim has pledged to attract 100 trillion won in investments during his term.

If Governor Kim’s "external policy" focuses on attracting corporate investments and creating jobs through overseas networks, his "internal policy" emphasizes the welfare of the people.

On the 18th, after watching the film Next Sohee, Governor Kim promised on social media that he would "lead a Gyeonggi Province government that residents can rely on." The film depicts Sohee, a vocational high school graduate about to graduate, who commits suicide after suffering unfair treatment, prompting the police to investigate the full story. Governor Kim reflected on social media, "(As a former vocational high school student) I myself was Sohee long ago."

When residents groaned under soaring heating costs, Governor Kim urgently injected 20 billion won. This was the first such measure nationwide. The freezing of bus fares and the postponement of taxi fare increases were also Governor Kim’s initiatives. He urged the Yoon Seok-yeol administration not to obsess over fiscal soundness but to pursue fiscal expansion. The ultimate goal of the Kim Dong-yeon premium is a Gyeonggi Province where there is no "Next Sohee."