Inside Korea’s Social Impact

Mutual growth between the Basic Society and the Social and Solidarity Economy can contribute to realizing a Basic Society.(Photo by Milly)    One of the core policy priorities of the South Korean government is the realization of a “Basic Society.”   This vision is a strategic response to the major challenges currently facing Korean society, including the growing demand for care, inequality, regional decline, low birth rates and population aging, and the climate crisis. In particular, as it has become increasingly difficult to ensure sustainable growth through existing welfare policies alone, the current administration’s Basic Society agenda can be understood as an effort to guarantee human dignity for all citizens of Korea. In this context, the revitalization of the social and solidarity economy has been emphasized as a key strategy for realizing a Basic Society.   ⭐However, it is important to note that Basic Society policies are not simply support measures f...

Young professionals working in South Korea’s social impact sector (clockwise from left): Lee Gidae, Na Hyunhong, Kim Wangyoung, and Jeon Sungwook. (Photo courtesy of the individuals; taken in advance.)   In a previous article, we met four young people in South Korea who are working to expand social value and sustainability in their own ways, each from their respective positions. They are members of SE-ACT, which has been introduced before. Whenever major social issues arise in South Korea, they have supported responses through solidarity. Currently, they are planning and running various programs to encourage more people to take interest in the social solidarity economy and social innovation.   👉Related articles  SE-ACT Part 1 The Birth of SE-ACT Amid Korea’s Democratic Crisis (Part 1) SE-ACT Part 2 The Birth of SE-ACT Amid Korea’s Democratic Crisis (Part 2)   In this article, we share a compilation of responses to a common set of questions posed to the four ...

  South Korea is facing multiple, overlapping social challenges, including regional depopulation, low birth rates and population aging, care crises, and the climate emergency. The social solidarity economy has often been discussed as a way to address these issues through business and market-based solutions. However, in Part 2 of this interview with Kim Wang-young, we take a slightly different perspective — one that moves beyond conventional expectations of how social problems should be “solved.”   Kim argues that the role of the social solidarity economy is not limited to encouraging consumers to purchase socially driven products or services. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of enabling citizens themselves to become active participants in addressing social challenges — learning together, engaging in dialogue, and collectively organizing responses. The capacities built through this process, he explains, can become a foundation that sustains society and offers a more fu...

  [Editor’s Note🖉] Korea’s cooperative movement and social and solidarity economy have grown rapidly over a relatively short period of time, supported by legal and institutional frameworks. Since the enactment of the Framework Act on Cooperatives in 2012, cooperatives have expanded steadily across various sectors, evolving beyond a single organizational form.   Today, however, the central question is shifting — from “How many cooperatives have been created?” to “How well are they actually functioning?” The focus is moving away from quantitative growth toward qualitative maturity.   This interview captures the perspective of Kim Wang-young, CEO of CoopBiz Cooperative, who has long engaged with cooperatives and the social and solidarity economy through the lens of education. As both a young practitioner and a long-time participant in the field, he offers candid reflections from on-the-ground experience. Rather than focusing solely on institutional outcomes or busin...