Meaningfulness of GyeongGi Millennium in 2018

The year 2018 marks the 1,100th anniversary of Goryeo which was founded by King Taejo in 918. Goryeo unified the Korean Peninsula including Balhae for the first time. The Peninsula had been divided into Pyeongyang, Gongju, Buyeo and Gyeongju since the era of Baekje’s capital Hanseong. Goryeo made the central area of the Peninsula the capital area called GyeongGi, thus leading to the formation, transmission and development of GyeongGi’s culture up to modern times. That is why Goryeo’s unification of the Korean Peninsula is very meaningful. In 1018 (9th year of King Hyeonjong), Goryeo launched its capital area system focused on the capital Gaegyeong. The year 2018 marks the Millennium of naming the area GyeongGi. In the process of unifying the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea and combined their different cultures, Goryeo sought cultural exchange based on open-mindedness and diversity and social integration characterized by tolerance and dynamism. Such an approach taken by Goryeo could serve as a historical model not only for future inter-Korean cultural exchange but for the unification of the two Koreas.

Planning of the GyeongGi Millennium Project

GyeongGi-do Province and GyeongGi Cultural Foundation have wanted the GyeongGi Millennium Project, which celebrates the 1,000th anniversary of the name GyeongGi, to serve as a springboard for GyeongGi’s new millennium. It is under these circumstances that the GyeongGi Millennium Platform has been planned. Although the 13 million residents of GyeongGi-do Province are unable to participate in the project celebrating this special occasion, those from 31 cities and counties can suggest their own ideal future of GyeongGi’s new millennium by understanding the importance of the 1,000th anniversary of GyeongGi. They can do so through a shared platform. In addition to developing such a platform, the 2017 project also consists in special projects, slogans and emblems. At the beginning of planning the project, GyeongGi-do Province came up with the following types of subordinate projects focused on local residents. Some of the projects that are taken as examples went through a name change in the process of implementation.

Three Keywords Suggested for the GyeongGi Millennium Project

GyeongGi-do Province suggested keywords for the implementation of the GyeongGi Millennium project. The first keyword is to reflect the elements of the “fourth Industrial Revolution.” The second one is to establish an “open platform.” The third one consists in carrying out “projects shared with local residents.” Each of these three keywords is important individually but they need to coexist in a symbiotically in order to be successful. What is then the meaning of reflecting the elements of the fourth Industrial Revolution? Thinking about the link between the fourth Industrial Revolution and planning of cultural projects, the Cultural Innovation Team found the following sentences.

The fourth Industrial Revolution is a revolution of decision-making rather than that of technology. Countries thus need to have a new political structure that could reflect citizens’ opinions in real time, without a big cost. An alternative is digital democracy based on block chain. The World Economic Forum in Davos declared that the winners of the fourth Industrial Revolution are artificial intelligence, big data and block chain.1)

The word “platform” is composed of “plat” and “form”,“Plat” refers to “flatland” and “form” means “ideal world” in Greek. In other words, “platform” means a flat, ideal world. Thus, all participants of a platform are equal, pursues impartiality and ensures everyone’s happiness. Consequently, a platform operates autonomously with an independent life, under the principle of mutual respect.2)

The GyeongGi Millennium Project is about planning and implementing programs shared with local residents by reflecting the elements of the fourth Industrial Revolution. A new decision-making structure, which reflects residents’ opinions in real time, is called digital democracy based on block chain. In reality, the experiment of block chain is carried out through the local community’s direct democracy in which a great number of residents participate. GyeongGi-do Province will organize the 2017 Social Fiction Conference in GyeongGi in the province’s 31 cities and counties. The conference consists in imagining 16,000 motivators in order to launch the GyeongGi Millennium project with the residents of about 16,000 villages in the province and to make decisions with them. With the concept of “making new changes and a new future with social imagination,” the Social Fiction Conference will mobilize its facilitators who will help local residents realize that they are cultural planners and active participants of GyeongGi-do Province of the future. Local residents’ numerous suggestions and ideas will be collected through the open platform and Social Fiction Conference. Afterward, keywords of the GyeongGi Millennium project will come from these ideas tha

t will go through big data anlaysis. The keywords will then lead to concrete projects. In this process, the Cultural Innovation Team has come up with the goals, core values and strategies of the 2017 GyeongGi Millennium Project as follows:

About the GyeongGi Millennium Platform Why was the GyeongGi Millennium Platform Planned?

The GyeongGi Millennium Platform consists in finding the meaningfulness of this special occasion in local residents story and life. In short, the project is mainly about listening to local residents and deliberating with them. That is because those who contributed or will contribute to GyeongGi Millennium are the local residents of GyeongGi-do Province. The Gyeong Gi Millennium Platform, which serves as a venue for the residents to directly suggest their ideas and to deliberate together, realizes direct democracy everywhere in the province, thus allowing them to reflect on the history and meaningfulness of GyeongGi Millennium. A platform consists in providing everyone with equal opportunities to form relationships and in making him or her a point of contact his or her world. There are three types of GyeongGi Millennium Platform: mobile platform remodeling a wing car, offline platform meeting local residents everywhere in GyeongGi-do Province and online platform which provides access anytime, anywhere.

What Cases Are There?

Just like the GyeongGi Millennium Platform, there is another global case of a platform involving citizens. That case is the Chicago Cultural Plan that was implemented in 2012. At that time, 5,600 citizens discussed and deliberated with each other to establish this plan. With over 200 suggestions, citizens of Chicago finally completed the plan. As in the case of the Chicago Cultural Plan, Korean citizens’ voices and colorful life stories will be integrated into the future vision of GyeongGi Millennium, thus translating into the characteristics and values of 31 cities and counties in GyeongGi-do Province.

What Progress Has the GyeongGi Millennium Platform Made So Far?

It has been two months since the GyeongGi Millennium Platform was launched. The platform started with the “Campus Tour” during which students at the province’s 20 universities made policy suggestions. Next, the “Pop-up Tour” took place the province’s parks and festivals. These events are already coming to an end. In addition, the “Workshop Coming to You” (town hall meetings) also involved local residents living in the province’s 31 cities and counties. As many as fifteen workshops have been held so far.

What Were the Suggestions Made by Young People during the Campus Tour?

Launched in September this year, the Campus Tour consisted in ceaselessly visiting the province’s universities with student supporters for a month. From Dongyang University in Dongducheon (September 5) to Hankyong Natoinal University in Anseong (September 27), the tour organizers visited 20 universities for 23 days to receive 3,401 suggestions from students.

The students actively made policy suggestions. Throughout the province, their suggestions mostly concerned education, tourism and culture. For example, some of them suggested the expansion of public transport for their commute. Others focused on tuition fees and scholarships. Meanwhile, their demands differed in different parts of the province. Those in northern GyeongGi wanted improvements in the delays and long intervals of subway trains. On the other hand, those in western GyeongGi pointed out the current lack of local medical facilities and financial support for the young. Meanwhile, those in central GyeongGi suggested the introduction of a shared bicycle system and those in southern GyeongGi proposed the expansion of urban infrastructure and public transport.

What Were the Suggestions Received during the Pop-up Tour?

While the Campus Tour was about meeting those in their 20’s on campus, the Pop-up Tour gave public access to everyone. So for, 18 tours have taken place at the province’s major parks, streets and tourist attractions. As a result, those in a variety of age groups had opportunities to share their ideas. Their suggestions differed depending on places and events.

At parks, those who came with their family raised issues regarding their children’s education and safe infant care. At festivals and tourist attractions, visitors pointed out parking problems or suggested the expansion and diversification of cultural facilities. On busy streets, they wanted more trash cans and measures to deal with fine dust. Finally, in office areas, they proposed the improvement of working conditions and they also wanted late-night bus operation.

What Were the Suggestions Made at the Workshop Coming to You?

Fifteen workshops have taken place so far. Such workshops (town hall meetings) are run by internationally recognized facilitators. Facilitators never give a conclusion but they just encourage participants to discuss their proposals and guide them through setting the agenda for them. The first workshop took place in Gwacheon City. Participants started the workshop by expressing their image of the city they live in with picture cards. They then drew a picture of their city they wanted 30 years later, on a large map of the city.

They then thought about what to strengthen and what to discard in order to realize such a future city 30 years later. In this way, they added concrete measures to their picture of a city which would have been too idealized otherwise. Mr. KIM Heung-rae (assistant administrator at Mongshil School the social cooperative) participated in the workshop that was held in Dongducheon. He expressed his satisfaction with the GyeongGi Millennium Platform program, saying that “the Workshop Coming to You led to the launch of citizens’ meetings for the development of the village.” The workshops, which visit all of the province’s 31 cities and counties, will end in November this year.

Zonal Workshops and Residents’ Creativity Contest

Each area’s agenda set during the Workshop Coming to You is further organized in a comprehensive policy agenda through Zonal Workshops. Dividing into GyeongGi-do Province into six zones, such workshops lead in-depth discussion on each agenda item and are held under the theme of “Cheerful Table: Six Town Hall Meetings.” Starting from Seongnam City, which represents eastern GyeongGi, on November 30, workshops are also held in Bucheon City, Uijeongbu City, Goyang City and Gunpo City to arrive in Suwon City on December 5. Wrapping up the series of workshops, the Residents’ Creativity Contest will take place on December 17.

Ultimate Goal: Cultural Democracy in GyeongGi-do Province!

Agenda items that will be collected through the Residents’ Creativity Contest will be refined with experts in order to complete GyeongGi’s Future Vision which will be declared at the ceremony of GyeongGi Millennium in 2018. What is essential about such a process is to reflect on what “cultural plan” will be able to implement the agenda items suggested by local residents. Under these circumstances, GyeongGi Cultural Foundation will organize two workshops on local culture in 2018 in an attempt to carry out such a “cultural plan.” The workshops are expected to form a basis for cultural democracy in GyeongGi-do Province in this era of local governance.

GyeongGi Millennium Supporters

What Other Projects Organize and Spread the Meanings and Values of GyeongGi Millennium?

Public Contest of Creative Content on GyeongGi Millennium- More for GyeongGi: This public contest for local residents accepts all kinds of content on GyeongGi Millennium. They can participate with cartoons (webtoons), UCC (photos and videos), emoticons, posters, etc.

Young Explorers of the DMZ: This project is intended to encourage GyeongGi’s future generations to visit the DMZ and to raise awareness of GyeongGi’s role as a center of Korea’s unification. Targeting the province’s university students, the program take place for two days at Camp Greaves.

GyeongGi Millennium Picnic: As part of the town hall meetings, this program was planned as a preliminary event that encourages local residents to participate in their province’s future policy. The program took place at Forêt Forêt on GyeongGi Sangsang Campus and at the groundbreaking ceremony of GyeongGi-do Province’s new convergence town.

Media Facade Exhibition: The Media Facade Exhibition, which will take place at Seoul Square in front of Seoul Station, has been planned to show the future image of GyeongGi Millennium in a symbolic way. Under the theme of heaven, earth and people, the exhibition will involve three media artists who will esthetically interpret GyeongGi Millennium.

Archives of GyeongGi Millennium : With a working title of “A Thousand Memories in GyeongGi”, this project is about making the large-scale archives of the entire province of GyeongGi-do, starting from this year, which marks the 999th anniversary of GyeongGi, until next year, which marks its 1,000th anniversary.

Promotional Videos in the Style of Commercials: These 15-second promotional videos are expected to draw great attention with artists’ unique ideas. The videos are made out of live action, graphics and texts.

I Love GyeongGi: This documentary film is about GyeongGi’s villages, historic sites, good restaurants, tourist attractions and people. In particular, its part focused on “people” contains interviews with a variety of residents of the province including celebrities.

GyeongGi’s Great Books: This is a publication project that plans books on GyeongGi-do Province’s great spirit of the humanities. This year, three books in Korean and a book in English have been planned under the theme of GyeongGi’s cultural history.

New Millennium Festival of GyeongGi: On December 31, 2017, a New Year’s Eve event will take place for the New Millennium Festival of GyeongGi on GyeongGi Sangsang Campus. The event has been planned as a venue of harmony and communication not only for local residents but also every one in GyeongGi-do Province.

Archives of the GyeongGi Millennium Project: This archives project focuses on recording the process of conducting the GyeongGi Millennium Project. The project, which consists in public cultural planning, is recorded in detail through its planning, preparation, implementation and completion. In the future, the archives will be used in a variety of ways, providing content on GyeongGi Millennium.

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