Governor Kim Moon-soo: 'Hometown Visit Will Have to Wait'

Governor Kim Moon-soo of Gyeonggi Province plans to postpone his customary Chuseok visit to his hometown cemetery and remain focused on provincial affairs this year.

Governor Kim has traditionally paid respects at his ancestral grave in Seonsan, located in Hwangguang-myeon, Yeongcheon-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, every Chuseok. However, to finalize 'Gyeonggi 2010-Vision and Strategy,' which he is scheduled to announce on the 9th marking his 100th day as governor, he has decided to forgo filial duty this year.

Instead, on Chuseok day itself, he will pay respects along with his second older brother, younger brother, and other relatives at the home of his eldest brother's widow in Jeongjeong-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, where the family table will be set in place of his eldest brother.

However, after performing the Chuseok ritual, Governor Kim is scheduled to immediately attend a joint memorial ceremony for displaced persons from the North at Imjin Pavilion in Paju, leaving little time to exchange greetings with relatives he rarely sees.

On the 5th, the day before Chuseok, he plans to take to his official residence the 10-trillion-won-scale budget compilation data for fiscal year 2007 that he will receive reports on from each bureau director at the provincial government building, in order to finalize next year's provincial budget framework.

During the 7th and 8th, when the Chuseok holidays continue, he will stay at his official residence and calmly review his provincial administration activities in preparation for the 100-day press conference.

First, he will invite An Byung-jik, professor emeritus of Seoul National University and chairman of the Advancement Committee launched to implement his key campaign pledges—as well as his former university mentor—to his official residence to seek advice on mid- to long-term provincial strategies and future policy priorities.

Beyond this, in connection with the Chuseok holiday, following his meeting with Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan on the 2nd, Governor Kim plans to visit senior figures from various sectors of society to seek counsel on Gyeonggi Province's pending issues including capital region regulations and transportation policy, as well as the North Korean nuclear issue.

One close associate said, "Governor Kim is someone who doesn't tend to rest leisurely even during vacation periods and continues working, and this time with the 100-day milestone approaching and the holidays coinciding, he has no choice but to be even more consumed by his work."