President Park Sang-woo of the Korea Land and Housing Corp. presides over the “Open Reform Officers’ Workshop” at its Gyeonggi Regional Office in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Sept. 25.(Photo: LH)

Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) held the “Open Reform Officers’ Workshop” at its Gyeonggi Regional Office in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, on Sept. 25. 

President Park Sang-woo was among some 185 key officials of the company that participated in the workshop, whose primary objective was to share the new Moon administration’s philosophy and discuss ways to successfully carry out government policy projects. The event included speeches by the invited guests and discussions on various subjects.

LH plans to take some of the opinions received at the workshop and include them in plans for government tasks and the reform of various systems. Some units will hold meetings to make sure they understand what the company plans to do with the workshop.

President Park said the company should go all out to improve the lifestyle of the people for a better tomorrow, while making sure the company doesn’t neglect its major mission, which is to create jobs and for accompanied growth with others in society as part of its social responsibility.

LH moved a step closer to building its second smart city in India after concluding a deal to build its first smart city in Kuwait.

Last month, LH signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, the Maharashtrian city’s governing body, on a strategic partnership to build New Kalyan Smart City in India. The two parties held a ceremony on April 8 after approval was made by the local municipal assembly, LH said.

The latest smart city project is the second of its kind after LH signed a project deal with Kuwait to develop South Saad Al Abdullah New City last year.

Kalyan-Dombivli, located 30 kilometers east from India’s business capital of Mumbai, has been included as one of the 100 cities in India to be developed under the Smart Cities Mission, a smart city development initiative introduced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the initiative, 100 smart cities will be built across the country as part of the government’s efforts to improve living standards and boost economic growth by improving infrastructure such as living water, sewage, electric, telecommunications, and transportation systems. Sixty cities have been designated so far for the plan and additional cities will be named this year.

Korea’s participation in India’s smart city development project comes after the two countries adopted a joint statement for special strategic partnership during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Korea in May 2015 that highlights the promotion of government to government projects.

The New Kalyan Smart City project will build a city of a 65,000 population on a site of 2.5 million square meters with 15,000 households. The project, which is estimated to be worth 380 billion won ($334.8 million), will not require LH any initial investment costs to secure land because the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation will purchase the land.

The Maharashtra government on Monday signed a MOU with Korea Land & Housing Corporation (KLHC) of the Republic of Korea.

This MOU is to build a strategic partnership for smart cities, roads and bridges, etc and exchange of knowledge and expertise, state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted

"I am happy to learn that KLHC intends to work with the Government of Maharashtra for smart cities, Maharashtra Samruddhi Corridor and some redevelopment projects," Fadnavis said.

The Consul General of Republic of Korea in Mumbai Soungeun Kim, state Ministers Chandrakantdada Patil, Pravin Pote, Madan Yerawar were present for the occasion.