2021 New Year: What Administrative Systems and Policies Are Changing in Gyeonggi Province?

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] In the new year of 2021, there will be increased support for alleviating the economic pain of self-employed individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises due to COVID-19, as well as expanded welfare support for workers in difficult circumstances.

Gyeonggi Province's public delivery app 'Express Delivery' service will be expanded to 27 cities and counties across the province, and workers' compensation insurance premiums will be supported for delivery workers.

To resolve wage gaps between regular and irregular workers, equal pay allowances will be provided to irregular workers employed by the province and its public institutions.

Welfare support for vulnerable groups will also be expanded, including newly established support funds for democratization activists in Gyeonggi Province and support for sanitary products for young women and girls.

The following introduces major changes in Gyeonggi Province's administrative systems and policies starting next year, divided into five sectors.

1. General Administration Sector

▲ Mobile notification for Gyeonggi Province civil defense training notices

Starting in March next year, civil defense training notices, which were previously received directly through neighborhood leaders or by registered mail, will be available through the internet and mobile apps.

This is intended to address the difficulty of direct receipt by individuals due to the increase in single-person households.

Since it is electronic notification, processing of attendance and completion of mobile surveys is possible through QR codes for each member.

This project was selected after the province applied for the Ministry of Science and Technology's paperless promotion pilot project in April and will proceed with full national funding.

▲ Noise damage compensation payments for residents near military airbases and shooting ranges

Residents near military airbases and shooting ranges will receive noise damage compensation payments ranging from 30,000 won to a maximum of 60,000 won per month starting in 2022.

Noise control zones will be designated next year according to the Defense Ministry's noise impact assessments, and compensation payment rates will be 60,000 won per month for Class 1 zones, 45,000 won per month for Class 2 zones, and 30,000 won per month for Class 3 zones.

2. Welfare, Health, Women, Education, and Labor Sector

▲ Support for democratization activists in Gyeonggi Province

Support policies have been established to honor residents who contributed to or were sacrificed in democratization movements and their bereaved families.

Monthly living assistance of 100,000 won per household will be paid to democratization activists and bereaved family members with income at or below 100% of the median income who have resided in the province for at least six months, and funeral expenses of 1 million won will be provided if related individuals pass away.

▲ Discovery and support for residents in crisis

To address blind spots in welfare, human safety networks will be strengthened to identify neighbors in crisis situations.

Monthly activity allowances of 10,000 won will be provided to private committee members of regional social security councils in eup, myeon, and dong areas, and encouragement items within an annual range of 15,000 won will be provided to honorary social welfare civil servants.

▲ Operation of Gyeonggi Province Long-term Care Worker Support Center

Starting in May next year, the 'Long-term Care Worker Support Center' will be operated to improve working conditions for long-term care facility workers including care aides.

Plans include operating physical and mental health management programs for workers, job enhancement training, and counseling for rights violations to raise the quality of long-term care services.

▲ Military service injury insurance for Gyeonggi youth

Benefits of the military service injury insurance support program for Gyeonggi youth, which the province has been implementing since November 2018 as the nation's first such program, will be expanded.

Insurance payment for each surgery due to injuries or illnesses during military service will be increased from 50,000 won to 200,000 won, and up to 20 million won in additional coverage will be provided for injuries causing death or disability from explosions, fires, or collapses during military service.

▲ Public funeral service support

Public funeral services will be supported to maintain the dignity of unidentified deceased persons increasing due to single-person households and family separation.

Provincial funds will support administrative and financial services necessary for the funerals of the unidentified.

▲ Middle-aged and older adult lifelong growth support group operation

Starting in March next year, professional development training programs and social contribution activity opportunities will be provided to middle-aged and older adults aged 50 to 64 residing in Gyeonggi Province.

Participants will be provided with activity expenses (up to 420,000 won per month).

▲ Expansion of independence support funds for children leaving facilities and care

Independence support funds provided to children whose child welfare facility care or foster care has ended will be doubled.

The province will increase the independence settlement funds provided as a lump sum upon discharge from the existing 5 million won to 10 million won, the highest level nationwide, to help discharged children establish foundations for social adaptation.

▲ Expansion and reorganization of Gyeonggi Province Lifelong Learning Portal Knowledge (GSEEK)

To support the non-face-to-face transition of lifelong education programs in the era of COVID-19, the Gyeonggi Online Lifelong Learning Knowledge (GSEEK) service will be expanded and reorganized into a lifelong learning portal.

The province plans to establish a Gyeonggi-style video lecture platform with academic management functions including video lecture development, operation, and certificate issuance, and provide it starting in April next year.

Plans also include expanding functions to provide information on offline education conducted by Gyeonggi Province and public institutions, as well as allowing at-a-glance inquiry and reservation of lifelong learning spaces in cities and counties.

▲ Gyeonggi Province sanitary products support for young women and girls

Starting in April next year, young women in the province will receive support of 138,000 won per person for purchasing sanitary products.

Young women and girls aged 11 to 18 registered in 14 participating cities and counties in the Gyeonggi Province sanitary products support program can receive 138,000 won per person annually in local currency for sanitary product purchases. (※Participating cities and counties: Ansan, Gimpo, Gwangju, Gunpo, Icheon, Hanam, Anseong, Yeoju, Yangpyeong, Guri, Pocheon, Dongducheon, Gapyeong, Yeoncheon)

▲ Introduction of Gyeonggi Province equal pay allowance for irregular workers

To overcome wage gaps between regular and irregular workers, Gyeonggi Province will introduce an equal pay allowance for irregular workers.

The program targets fixed-term workers directly employed by the province and its affiliated public institutions, with payments differentiated from 5% to 10% of base salary proportional to employment insecurity.

▲ Support for improving apartment security worker rest facilities

To improve the working conditions of apartment security workers, a support project to improve rest facilities for security workers will be pursued targeting approximately 120 apartments.

Provincial funds of up to 5 million won per apartment will support supplies such as water purifiers and air conditioners, as well as redecorating and flooring replacement.

▲ Workers' compensation insurance support for platform delivery workers

To improve the poor working conditions of delivery workers, platform delivery worker workers' compensation insurance premiums will be supported starting in March next year.

The province plans to support 90% of workers' compensation insurance premium costs for approximately 2,000 delivery riders and quick service workers, with support confirmed quarterly through the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service after verification of workers' compensation insurance enrollment.

▲ Environmental improvement for foreign worker shelters

There are 35 foreign worker shelters in 14 cities and counties in the province, which have been blind spots for safety and quarantine.

The province plans to prioritize approximately 20 shelters by reinforcing safety facilities such as aging electrical systems, repairing living spaces including flooring and wallpaper replacement, and providing quarantine supplies such as disinfectants and masks.

3. Industry, Economy, Agriculture, Fishing, Livestock, and Forestry Sector

▲ Expansion of Gyeonggi Province public delivery app Express Delivery service

Gyeonggi Province's public delivery app 'Express Delivery' service, designed to resolve digital platform monopoly issues and reduce commission burdens for small business owners, will be expanded to 27 cities and counties next year.

In the first quarter, service will begin in 5 cities and counties including Suwon, Gimpo, Icheon, Pocheon, and Yangpyeong; in the second quarter, 9 cities and counties including Anyang, Pyeongtaek, and Yeoncheon; in the third quarter, 7 cities and counties including Yongin, Goyang, and Gwangmyeong; and through the fourth quarter, 3 cities and counties including Siheung, Dongducheon, and Gapyeong will participate.

Small business owners wishing to participate can apply for membership by contacting the Express Delivery Customer Center (1599-9836).

▲ Support for accounts receivable insurance premiums for manufacturing small and medium enterprises in Gyeonggi Province

To strengthen the business safety net for small and medium enterprises facing difficulties due to COVID-19, the province will support accounts receivable insurance premiums for manufacturing small and medium enterprises.

The province plans to support 50% of accounts receivable insurance enrollment costs for manufacturing small and medium enterprises with sales of less than 30 billion won and headquartered or having primary business operations in the province, through an agreement with the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund in January next year.

Accounts receivable insurance is a public insurance system operated by the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund under entrusted management from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. It compensates for losses incurred when insured companies fail to collect payment after selling on credit to customers.

▲ Local food direct delivery support

To respond to increased non-face-to-face food purchasing demand and rapid growth of food online shopping malls, the province will begin local food direct delivery support projects.

Support will include website construction for local food online sales and direct delivery costs, with the province planning to pilot operate 2 local food direct sales outlets next year and expand thereafter.

For short-distance direct delivery, vulnerable groups such as elderly people and women with career interruptions will be utilized as delivery personnel, creating job creation effects.

▲ Gyeonggi wheat industry fostering support project

As Gyeonggi Province has decided to expand annual wheat production by 320 times compared to current levels by 2025, production incentives and purchase funds to compensate wheat cultivation income will be supported starting in January next year.

This is a measure to expand domestic wheat production, which has a self-sufficiency rate of only 1.2% relative to consumption.

Starting in the new year, the province will support production incentives (4 million won per hectare) and purchase funds (5,000 won incentive per 40 kg sack) for wheat cultivation farms to encourage participation in wheat cultivation and plans to supply agricultural machinery to cultivation and production areas.

▲ Installation of reinforced quarantine facilities in ASF intensive quarantine management areas

Nine cities and counties in the province including Goyang, Namyangju, Paju, Gimpo, Yangju, Pocheon, Dongducheon, Gapyeong, and Yeoncheon are designated as ASF intensive quarantine management areas, and fines will be imposed on swine farms that fail to install reinforced quarantine facilities by May next year.

Farms must install internal and external fences, loading and unloading areas, quarantine rooms, entry rooms, material entry facilities, pest control and insect netting, and livestock waste storage facilities, with maximum fines of 10 million won imposed for non-installation.

4. Environment, Urban Development, Transportation, and Construction Sector

▲ Establishment of Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation

On the 7th, Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation was established at the central commercial district in Okjeong-dong, Yangju City, marking the nation's first regional public transportation corporation at the provincial level.

Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation is a dedicated transportation organization that integrates and manages public transportation systems in cities and counties within the province with diverse characteristics including urban and mixed rural-urban areas.

Staff recruitment will be completed in February next year, and the corporation will begin full operation as the integrated control tower for public transportation across Gyeonggi Province's 31 cities and counties, performing functions including management and operation of Gyeonggi Province public buses, construction and operation of rail networks, operation of public transportation transfer facilities, and operation of new transportation systems.

5. Disaster Safety, Culture, Sports, and Tourism Sector

▲ Expansion of Gyeonggi Province Culture Day operations

The Gyeonggi Province Culture Day (the week containing the last Wednesday of each month) operations program will be expanded.

On Gyeonggi Province Culture Day, a portion of usage fees for public performance venues, public camping grounds, and museums and art galleries in the province will be refunded in local currency, with 5,000 won refunded for usage of 10,000 won or more, 10,000 won for 30,000 won or more, and 15,000 won for 50,000 won or more.

▲ Operation of Gyeonggi Province Content Fair Trade Counseling Center

A counseling center will be operated to provide relief for victims of unfair trade practices in the content industry, such as unilateral contract cancellations and non-payment of fees.

Particularly this year, unilateral transaction cancellations and discontinuations, non-payment of fees, copyright infringement, and other unfair practices are occurring frequently due to COVID-19. The counseling center will provide unfair trade victim counseling to content industry workers as well as legal consulting support including legal opinions, contract consulting, and legal advice on disputes and litigation.

The center is located within the Pangyo and Uijeongbu Gyeonggi Culture Creative Hubs and operates by appointment from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

▲ Gyeonggi-style sports new deal project

A Gyeonggi-style sports new deal project will be pursued to support overcoming the crisis in the sports sector that has been weakened by COVID-19.

The province will cooperate with 31 cities and counties to provide short-term employment for approximately three months to sports workers who have lost jobs or face livelihood difficulties due to COVID-19, support quarantine supplies for affiliated organizations of the Gyeonggi Provincial Sports Association, and support non-face-to-face sports education content production costs.