Inside Korea’s Social Impact

  One of the persistent social issues in South Korea is the concentration of resources and opportunities in Seoul and the greater metropolitan area. In recent years, there have been growing calls to strengthen regional development, and the atmosphere is slowly shifting. Nevertheless, the structural tendency toward centralization in Seoul remains strong.   The same pattern can be observed in the fields of the Social and Solidarity Economy and social innovation. Compared to other sectors, the social impact field arguably has more people who remain in their local communities and work for regional development. However, because the broader social and economic environment is heavily centered around Seoul, many forums, seminars, conferences, and networking events still take place primarily in the capital region.   While social impact ecosystems have been established across different parts of the country, in reality the ecosystem often appears to be structured around the ...

  While working as a journalist covering the fields of the Social and Solidarity Economy and social innovation, there was one question I frequently asked founders and managers of social impact enterprises. Even when I did not raise it myself, I often heard the same question discussed at forums and seminars: “What is the most essential factor in running your organization?”  ❓ Most social impact entrepreneurs gave remarkably similar answers. To operate their organizations in a stable and sustainable way, they need a reliable space — a physical place where their teams can work. And they emphasized that this space is not optional; it is essential.   Although workplaces in South Korea, like many parts of the world, are increasingly shifting toward digital environments, gathering in an offline space remains highly significant. For social impact enterprises, space is more than just a workplace. Especially for organizations that pursue both value and profit, space becomes a s...