Governor Kim Moon-soo to Sign Policy Agreement with Seoul and Incheon on August 8

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo will sign a joint agreement on August 8 with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo at Seoul's Plaza Hotel to improve air quality, water quality at Paldang Lake, and transportation issues in the Seoul metropolitan area.

According to the province on the 1st, Gyeonggi Province, Seoul, and Incheon have been in consultation since June during the transition period to jointly address Seoul metropolitan area issues including the environment and transportation.

In terms of air quality, the agreement plans to expand the installation of vehicle emission reduction devices by 2010, while jointly requesting government subsidies accordingly.

Additionally, Seoul and Incheon will actively cooperate with Gyeonggi Province's comprehensive Paldang Lake water quality improvement plan, which includes increasing water usage fees and reinvesting them in the lake.

Furthermore, the three cities and province will pursue the implementation of a distance-based public transportation fare system that crosses provincial boundaries, allowing users of buses and subways to pay fares based on the distance traveled, regardless of the number of transfers or types of transportation used.

A provincial official stated, "Problems in the three Seoul metropolitan areas cannot be resolved by the effort of only one party, and administrative divisions have only increased inconvenience for Seoul metropolitan residents," adding, "To ensure this does not end as a symbolic event, we will continue to hold ongoing consultations."