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. Suwon-Incheon Rail Line Reopens after 25 Years (0911-2) On September 12, the full section of the Suwon-Incheon (수원-인천; also “Suin”) Line reopened as part of metropolitan rail services after being closed for 25 years. The 52.8-kilometer, 70-minute run between Suwon (수원) Station and Incheon (인천) Station passes through the cities of Ansan (안산) and Siheung (시흥). This line also connects with the Bundang (분당) Line that runs to Wangsimni (왕십리) in Seoul. Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung offered assurances that the province will do its utmost to expand environment-friendly public transportation so as to return morning and evening life to residents and to make commuting more convenient. ◇ 2. 2020 Korea Basic Income Fair Online International Conference (0914-2) On September 11, a basic income international conference took place during the 2020 Korea Basic Income Fair, which marked its second year. The online conference, which saw 27 scholars from 11 nations take part in dynamic discussions from 9 a.m. until after 8 p.m., was streamed globally in real time via the event’s website and YouTube channel. Discussions took place over five sessions on subjects such as experimental policies, financing strategies and local currency. Participants agreed that basic income is an ideal policy model for the future that should be moved beyond the experimental stage to actual implementation. ◇   3. Local Currency Card Acceptance by Non-affiliated Businesses From October 5, businesses in Gyeonggi Province that are not registered as local currency affiliates will experience limitations in accepting payment via local currency cards. According to local ordinance provisions, local currency cards can be accepted as regular credit cards by non-affiliated businesses. However, the new Local Merchandise Coupons Act will require businesses to be affiliated in order to accept payments via local currency cards. Therefore, all local currency-accepting businesses in the province – which excludes department stores and large supermarkets, as well as entertainment and gambling establishments, among others – will be required to register as affiliates. ◇ 4. Gyeonggi Announces Official Name of Temporary Employee Wage System Gyeonggi Province recently announced the official name for its planned employment instability compensation system for temporary employees. This system will be referred to as the ‘Gyeonggi Temporary Employee Fair Benefit,’ and preparatory actions are underway for its full implementation. According to a provincial spokesperson, this name represents compensation as well as fairness, a core value pursued by the current provincial administration, while also being easy to use. This benefit will be paid to all temporary employees of the province and provincial organizations in amounts ranging from 5 to 10 percent their base salaries depending on employment periods and stability. ◇ 5. DMZ International Documentary Film Festival Opens on September 17 (0916-1) The 12th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, the largest festival of its kind in Asia, opened on September 17. Although general public screenings are not possible this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, selected contents are available online for the public to enjoy. These selected works include 15 documentaries, which will be presented via the festival’s website and YouTube channel, with additional online events also being made available for public enjoyment. ◇   6. Gyeonggi Proposes Inclusion of GTX-D in National Railroad Network Plans (0917-3) Together with the cities of Bucheon (부천), Gimpo (김포) and Hanam (하남), Gyeonggi Province proposed the inclusion of GTX-D, a Gyeonggi metropolitan rail line, in the central government’s 4th National Railroad Network Plans. This proposal was made jointly at a meeting of the four authorities held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex on September 16. During the meeting, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung (이재명) stated that the GTX-D project is highly beneficial not only in terms of its economic and social aspects but also for balanced regional development. He expressed hopes that the proposal will be accepted and that the project can commence early through close cooperation between the province and the related localities. ◇ 7. Gyeonggi Hosts ‘Let’s DMZ’ Peace Festival (0916-2) Gyeonggi Province is currently hosting a series of events under the name ‘Let’s DMZ’ to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the Panmunjeom Declaration and to highlight the value of the demilitarized zone. The first event was the DMZ Forum, which took place on September 17 and 18. This was an online academic forum that focused on cooperation for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the common prosperity of the international community. Other events will follow, including the large-scale ‘Live in DMZ’ concert from October 23 to 25 at the Imjingak (임진각) Peace Park in Paju (파주) City, as well as other exhibition and experiential events at ‘DMZ Village’ One other related event, the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, runs for 8 days from September 17 to 24. ◇ Thank you for joining us for this week’s edition of GTV. We look forward to seeing you again next week.