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The Role of Corporations in Korea’s Social Impact Ecosystem

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  In many countries, social impact is primarily driven by non-profits, social enterprises, and the public sector. Korea is not very different. In fact, when explaining social impact to those unfamiliar with the concept, many people tend to think of it as an area centered on public services or welfare.   However, the reality is slightly different. While it is true that social impact carries a strong public nature due to its mission of addressing social problems and achieving social goals, a closer look reveals that general corporations — especially large companies — also play a significant role in the development of the social impact ecosystem.   That said, the way corporations engage has evolved. In the past, corporate involvement often took the form of donations, one-time social contribution activities, or ESG being included as part of a broader business strategy. Recently, however, more companies are approaching social contribution with a long-term perspective, ...
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What role does social impact in Korea play amid the global crisis of “war”?

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  The ongoing war in the Middle East has thrown the international community into confusion. In Korea as well, news about the Middle East war is constantly being delivered through TV, news outlets, and even YouTube channels. Nevertheless, there are also many people who do not pay much attention to the war. Since the Middle East, where the war is taking place, is geographically far from Korea, it may be difficult for people to truly feel its impact.   🌱But is war really unrelated to us?   The media continuously reports on the reality of the war, but it is difficult to directly experience the situation in Korea. However, if we think about it a little more, the war is already having a significant impact on Korean society. The most intuitive example is its effect on the stock market. In addition, it directly affects our daily lives through rising energy prices, inflation, and supply chain instability. In other words, the war is shaking Korea’s economy and changing the...
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Why is it difficult to solve social problems with ‘values’ alone?

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  Social problems that appear around the world share a common characteristic. It is difficult to attribute their causes to a single factor, and they are often entangled with various elements, making them hard to resolve. In addition, issues that people recognize as social problems tend to recur over time. (Of course, some problems have been solved, but most continue over long periods.^^)   I, too, am experiencing a problem that can be classified as a social issue. The issue I am currently facing is related to housing (real estate).   In Korea, housing prices vary by region, and in the Seoul metropolitan area where I live, housing prices are extremely high. For younger generations who have not yet built a solid asset base, it is very difficult to own a home in this area.   However, if you live in a rented home instead of owning one, you may have to move when the contract period ends (in Korea, contracts are typically for two years). This creates instabilit...
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In South Korea, Policy Determines the Expansion and Contraction of the Social Impact Ecosystem

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  When I first started working as a journalist in the social impact field, I thought — based only on what I saw on the surface — that social impact organizations such as social economy enterprises and social innovation companies had grown this much because of their unique ideas, their passion for contributing to solving social problems, and their horizontal and innovative ways of doing business rather than traditional top-down approaches.   However, once I actually started reporting and looked into materials about the social impact ecosystem, I realized that was not everything. Even with the same values and business, depending on how policies are applied, they could expand or shrink. They are also heavily influenced by the government in power, and at the local level, they are affected by ordinances.   In today’s post, I will write about how policy plays a role in the expansion and development of Korea’s social impact ecosystem.   🐶Policy plays a role in ...
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