3-Year Final Assessment of Popularly Elected 8th Term - ③ Safety and Care Safe and Happy Lives for All Gyeonggi Residents, Anytime, Anywhere

[Suwon Ilbo=Kim Gap-dong Reporter] Over the past three years, the Gyeonggi Province government under the popularly elected 8th term has developed policy breakthroughs across diverse sectors including welfare, transportation, housing, safety, pet welfare, and human rights to create a society where all residents can live safely and receive warm care.

In particular, Governor Kim Dong-yeon's core policy of '360-degree care' and 'The Gyeonggi Pass' to reduce transportation costs, along with responses to Jeonse fraud, traffic innovation encompassing GTX and Tok Bus, pet welfare, and Seon-gam School human rights recovery policies are all included, establishing Gyeonggi Province's safety and care policies as a national model in substance and name.

■ [Welfare] Expanding to Complete Form of '360-Degree Care' - For Everyone, Anytime, Anywhere

'360-degree care' has been promoted along three axes since the vision announcement in 2023: △Care for everyone △Care anytime △Care anywhere.

'Care for everyone' is Korea's first universal model providing care services to residents facing crisis situations regardless of age or income. Starting in 15 municipalities in January 2024, it has expanded to 29 municipalities, supporting over 10,000 people across seven sectors including daily living, companionship, meals, and psychological counseling. It operates in connection with 456 cooperative agencies in municipalities and cities, providing up to 150 million won annually in provincial funds.

'Care anytime' consists of programs configured to allow families to confidently entrust their children to care at desired times and locations: △Elementary emergency care △Anytime daycare △Gyeonggi-type family care allowance △Child care opportunity income.

Looking at major project results, 'Gyeonggi-type family care allowance' is the first system to recognize not only family but also neighbors as care helpers. It supported 5,577 people in the first half of 2025, providing 300,000 to 600,000 won monthly depending on the number of children.

'Anytime daycare' is an emergency childcare facility operating 365 days, 24 hours a day. Starting with five locations in 2024, 11 are currently operating, with cumulative child users reaching 6,857 by May 2025.

Families requiring emergency childcare for children 12 and under can apply through the Anytime Care call center (010-9979-7722) or platform (www.gg.go.kr/always360) to receive childcare facility or home visit care services near their residence on weekends and weekday evenings. From last year to May this year, 1,600 services were coordinated.

'Care anywhere' comprises three projects: △Operating evening and holiday programs for disability care △Customized care for severely disabled individuals △Family care projects for the severely disabled. Since March 2024, 'Evening and holiday programs for disability care' operate at 61 locations across 22 municipalities, with 13,695 people supported by May this year.

The province provides 1:2 customized care for the most severely disabled individuals and monthly points worth 400,000 won and counseling services to family care households, realistically addressing welfare blind spots.

■ [Nursing Care] Nation's First Metropolitan-Level Nursing Care Subsidy, 'Gyeonggi Province Nursing Care SOS Project'

The 'Gyeonggi Province Nursing Care SOS Project,' launched in February this year, is the nation's first metropolitan-level nursing care subsidy system. It provides up to 1.2 million won annually in nursing care costs to vulnerable elderly residents aged 65 and above facing nursing care gaps due to economic difficulties. As of June, 403 cumulative cases have been supported.

Additionally, to discover and connect residents in crisis early, the province operates an emergency welfare hotline (010-4419-7722), integrated call center (031-120), and Gyeonggi Wellness Talk, with a total of 21,967 consultation cases received as of June 2024.

■ [Transportation] Capturing Both Safety and Usage through Public Transit Innovation

'The Gyeonggi Pass' is a Gyeonggi Province public transportation incentive based on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's K-Pass, adding extra benefits exclusive to Gyeonggi residents, and a climate crisis response measure.

The number of subscribers reached approximately 1.4 million as of June 2024, with an average monthly refund of 20,000 won, and 74% of users responded that "after using The Gyeonggi Pass card, my public transportation usage increased," showing effectiveness in shifting from private vehicle demand and reducing carbon emissions.

The innovative transportation 'Tok Bus,' which allows boarding at desired times and places to travel to desired destinations, currently operates 267 vehicles across 19 municipalities and cities, surpassing 8.1 million cumulative users. Canada's British Columbia Provincial Government introduced 'Tok Bus' as Korea's representative AI-based demand-responsive transportation.

Since January of last year, the province has been implementing the 'Gyeonggi Province City Bus Public Management System.' As a result of evaluating 2,142 buses over one year after introducing the city bus public management system, traffic accidents decreased by 32% and civil complaints decreased by 27%. The province plans to expand to all city buses (6,187 vehicles) by 2027.

■ [Railroad and Roads] GTX Opening and Expanded Metropolitan Transit Network

The Seoul Metropolitan Express Transit (GTX) is also changing residents' lives through the opening of the GTX A line. The A line saw phased opening, with the Seo-seo to Dongtan section opening in March 2024, followed by Guseong Station in June 2024, and the Woonjeong-jungangstadium to Seoul Station section in December 2024, reducing travel time from 53 minutes to 19 minutes on the Woonjeong to Seoul Station section and from 1 hour to 21 minutes on the Dongtan to Samsung section. GTX A ridership reached 10 million by May this year.

With the groundbreaking of GTX B and C lines, development of western region metropolitan railroad (advancing feasibility study), and G, H lines and C line Siheung extension, the entire metropolitan area is entering Governor Kim Dong-yeon's promised 'commute 30-minute living zone.' Subway Line 8 Byeolnae line (opening in August 2024), Dobongsan to Okjeong (50% completion rate), Goyang Eunpyeong line (basic plan approval announced in December 2024), Gangdong-Hanam-Namyangju line (basic plan approval announced in December 2024), and Songpa-Hanam metropolitan railroad (basic plan approval application submitted in December 2024) are also being promoted sequentially.

The 2025 road budget was 350.3 billion won, a 21.8% increase compared to the previous year, with over 10 road sections scheduled to open during the year.

■ [Safety] 10 Consecutive Years of Grade 1 Regional Safety Index

The province achieved "the most Grade 1 ratings among provincial governments for 10 consecutive years" in the Ministry of Interior and Safety's regional safety index evaluation. It obtained Grade 1 in five of six indicators including traffic accidents, fires, daily life safety, suicide, and infectious disease.

To sustain this 'safe Gyeonggi Province,' the province operates the 'Gyeonggi Province 360-degree Smart Video Center.' Video from over 170,000 CCTV cameras in the province is integrated and managed, with real-time response to heavy snow situations in November last year and snow removal in December, strengthening disaster safety on-site functions.

The province under the popularly elected 8th term has done its best to protect residents from summer weather disasters (heavy rain and typhoons) and winter heavy snow. For 2024 summer weather disaster response, 30 emergency shifts were conducted over 44 days with 47 directive notifications to municipalities and cities, and a disaster management fund of 55.7 billion won was invested to promote 'climate crisis response strategic projects,' intensively reinforcing various vulnerable facilities including underground road automatic barrier systems.

For Anyang Agricultural and Aquatic Products Wholesale Market, which experienced collapse accidents from record-breaking heavy snow, the province installed a low-temperature storage with 1 billion won in provincial funds, which began operation in June. Governor Kim visited the site the day after the collapse on November 29 last year and again in March this year to check damage. Hearing merchants' difficulties that existing low-temperature storage is difficult to use, reducing product quality, the governor urgently provided 1 billion won in provincial funds to enable installation in the first half. In addition, for the 2024 heavy snow disaster, disaster relief funds totaling 41 billion won, including national, provincial, and municipal shares, were provided in advance for approximately 22,800 farm and livestock farming families and small business owners through the province's disaster relief fund.

■ [Jeonse Fraud Response] All-Directional Response from Victim Relief to Institutional Improvement

The 'Jeonse Victim Support Center,' operating since May 2023, has achieved substantial relief through over 10,000 damage reports, over 40,000 legal and financial consultations, 5,104 emergency living expense support cases, 60 moving expense support cases, and supply of 184 emergency rental housing units.

Additionally, through the 'Gyeonggi Safe Jeonse Project' with participation of approximately 16,000 certified real estate agents, the province is expanding Jeonse fraud prevention activities, and 'Safe Jeonse Guardian' marks are affixed to their offices to enhance residents' trust.

For institutional improvement, the popularly elected 8th term Gyeonggi Province has also responded proactively. The province recommended 10 institutional improvement tasks to the central government, with 6 being submitted for legislative consideration in the National Assembly. Representative of legislation in progress is the 'Revised Housing Lease Protection Act,' which prevents Jeonse fraud in advance through mandatory establishment of lessee's rights registration.

■ [Pet Welfare] Petsmaaru Yeoju and Hwaseong Established, Dongducheon Confirmed for Northern Region

Yeoju Petsmaaru (November 2023), the nation's largest-scale pet culture complex (160,000 square meters), and Hwaseong Petsmaaru (May 2024) featuring Korea's first metropolitan-level cat-exclusive adoption center both opened.

From 2023 to May this year, a total of 1,570 abandoned animals were adopted, and related events including Pet Star and job fairs were held.

To meet demand for pet spaces and expand tourism infrastructure in the northern Gyeonggi region, Dongducheon was finalized as the site for the northern regional pet theme park in September 2024.

■ [Human Rights] Truth Investigation and Victim Recovery for Seon-gam School

Governor Kim Dong-yeon officially apologized in October 2022, stating that the province would do its best to support wound healing and honor recovery for victims of past child human rights violations at Seon-gam School. Following the governor's official apology, Gyeonggi Province has continuously provided monthly living expenses of 200,000 won, consolation payments of 5 million won, and medical and psychological support (over 1,500 cumulative cases) to Seon-gam School incident victims, and operates a victim support center to help heal mental trauma.

In April 2024, remains were discovered in 67 out of 155 dormitory units, marking substantial progress in remains excavation. For these contributions, Gyeonggi Province received an institutional commendation at the 'Republic of Korea Human Rights Awards,' hosted by the National Human Rights Commission in 2024.

■ Safety and Care Standard, Popularly Elected 8th Term Gyeonggi Province

Governor Kim Dong-yeon stated, "Welfare and safety are not matters requiring money but are essential tasks for people to live," and has practiced 'practical administration focused on facts' encompassing field-based care and disaster response, transportation welfare, and human rights recovery.

A society where care becomes everyday, transportation becomes a right, and safety becomes basic. The popularly elected 8th term Gyeonggi Province is proving through practice the direction of 'people-centered administration.'