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 Industries Active in Creating Green Environment for Microdust Reduction (1001) Gyeonggi Province has been promoting tree planting among industrial enterprises with the aim of reducing atmospheric microdust concentrations. This initiative has proven very successful in terms of enterprise participation. ► Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek Campus Responding to the provincial initiative, titled ‘Factory in the Woods’ program, Samsung Electronics in Pyeongtaek (평택) City plans to plant 628 trees around its in-house childcare center this year and has already planted 268 trees. These trees – including zelkova, cherry and metasequoia – have significant air-purifying effects. ► Kim Ji-hyeok, Sansung Electronics Employee “We believe that it is our duty and social responsibility to protect the environment. We recognize the significant value of tree planting in microdust reduction.” ► Gyeonggi Secures Participation of 121 Enterprises in ‘Factory in the Woods’ Program (March) This past March, Gyeonggi Province, home to 30 percent of air pollutant-generating enterprises in Korea, secured agreements from 121 enterprises for participation in the ‘Factory in the Woods’ program. ► 14,957 Trees Planted at 83 Industrial Sites As of September, nearly 15,000 trees had been planted at 83 industrial sites, surpassing the original target by 10 percent. ► Additional 3,039 Trees to Be Planted by End of Year With the expected addition of approximately 3,000 more trees, a total of almost 18,000 trees will be planted by the end of the year. ► 1 ha of Urban Forest Removes 168 kg of Airborne Contaminants Annually According to the Korea Forest Service, one tree can absorb 35.7 grams of airborne contaminants; this is equivalent to 168 kilograms per hectare of forest annually. ► Gyeonggi to Expand Tree Planting Promotion to All Industrial Enterprises From 2021, Gyeonggi Province plans to expand this industrial site forestation program to all industrial enterprises in the province. ► Resting Areas in Forested Sites In addition, the province will promote the opening of arboreal resting areas within enterprises for local residents.   2. Gyeonggi Pursues Legislation for Return of Development Profits to Residents (0930) Gyeonggi Province began pursuing legislation for the return of development profits to residents in accordance with a pledge made by Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung. This follows National Assembly proposals for the amendment of two related acts. These amendment drafts include the expansion of the public housing project range and the inclusion of area-wide autonomous bodies in the distribution of development profits. The passage of these amendments will enable Governor Lee to more substantially pursue the return of development profits to residents. 3. Gyeonggi Province Announces Ban on Bidding Participation by Paper Companies (0930) Gyeonggi Province recently announced that it will prohibit the participation of so-called “paper” companies in provincial construction bids from October. Exclusion will be based on investigations undertaken at bidder business sites for related registration qualifications such as capital amounts, office space, and number of technical personnel. Those enterprises confirmed to be duplicitous will also receive administrative punishments. Those that have already received contracts will be subject to contract cancellation and bid deposit seizure. 4. 68% of Gyeonggi Residents Approve Time Card System for Construction Workers (1002) According to a survey of Gyeonggi residents, two out of every three respondents support a time card system for construction workers. Undertaken by the commissioned surveyor Real Meter, this 4-day survey of 2,600 adults in the province ran from September 2; it revealed that 68 percent of respondents favor a work time control system. While the majority of respondents shared the view that this system will help prevent wage payment delays and facilitate payment of appropriate wages, construction workers asserted the prevention of the illegal employment of foreign workers as its greatest effect. The time card system is currently being used at four provincial construction sites including that of the new provincial government complex.   5. Gyeonggi Governor Orders Investigation of Unlicensed Pig Farms (1004) With the number of pig farms with confirmed cases of African Swine Fever having increased to 13, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung (이재명) has instructed officials to pursue all possible measures to the utmost degree in preventing the further spread of the disease. ► Gyeonggi to Investigate All Unlicensed Pig Farms These measures include the investigation of all unlicensed pig farms in every administrative area. This follows the confirmation of the disease at one unlicensed farm on October 2. ► Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung “We must search every area without exception and uncover any small-scale pig farms that are not part of our quarantine network.” ► Governor Lee Visits African Swine Fever Situation Room at Yangju City Hall (October 2) Governor Lee instructed officials to consider the option of buying all pigs from those farms that have fewer than 200 animals so as to vacate such farms. He also visited the African Swine Fever Situation Room at Yangju (양주) City Hall to encourage thorough disease control efforts by local officials.   6. Gyeonggi Team for National Skills Competition Inaugurated On October 1, the inauguration of the Gyeonggi team for the 54th National Skills Competition took place at the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex with the participation of Vice Governor Lee Hwa-soon (이화순), Gyeonggi team members and coaches. Seeking to be the overall winner, the Gyeonggi team of 156 members will participate in 49 events. During this year’s National Skills Competition, which will run for eight days from October 4 in Busan, more than 1,800 specialists from around the nation will compete in 50 events Thank you for joining us for this week’s edition of GTV. We look forward to seeing you again next week.