<h1>My Village Store, Where I’m the Owner: The Story of Korean Consumer Cooperatives</h1>

Last December, a press conference was held to call for an end to plastic pollution. The banners used at the event were also made of paper.(Photo by Milly) 

 “What if I were the owner of the supermarket I go to every day?”

 

Imagine if the place you visit daily to buy groceries wasn’t just a store, but your own store. What if your choices about what to buy and where to shop could positively impact your community, the environment, and people’s lives?

 

This is the story of Consumer Cooperatives in Korea. Consumer cooperatives are non-profit organizations established under relevant laws to promote consumers’ autonomous, self-reliant, and self-governing cooperative activities, aiming to enhance members’ daily lives and contribute to public welfare and cultural development.

Definition of Korean Consumer Cooperatives

 

Consumer cooperatives in Korea can be categorized into three main types: regional cooperatives, medical cooperatives, and university cooperatives. According to a survey released last year, by the end of 2022, regional cooperatives accounted for 48.9%, medical cooperatives 42.6%, and university cooperatives 8.5% of the total.

In total, Korean consumer cooperatives have about 1.758 million members, making them a significant force in Korean society.

 

Cooperatives primarily provide safe and eco-friendly products, and offer fresh goods through direct interaction between producers and consumers. They also foster community engagement by offering educational programs and promoting local solidarity among members. Recently, cooperatives have increasingly taken part in addressing global social issues, such as the climate crisis.

 

What Makes Cooperatives Different?

 

Among all cooperatives, regional cooperatives focus on supplying healthy food. This creates a clear distinction between cooperatives and conventional large retail chains.

 

Purpose
Cooperatives prioritize providing goods and services that members need while promoting community values, rather than maximizing profit. In contrast, conventional supermarkets and big retailers primarily aim to maximize profits.

 

Social Value 
Cooperative stores often carry products from social enterprises, such as items that promote environmental sustainability, local food, or products made by people with disabilities. Even if a product isn’t from a social enterprise, it may be grown and produced in a healthy, responsible way.

 

Among Korean cooperatives, regional cooperatives are the most active. Notable examples include Hansalim Cooperative Federation, iCOOP Cooperative Federation, and Dure Cooperative Federation. While each has its own history and characteristics, they all share a commitment to social value, distributing eco-friendly and healthy food products and promoting resource circulation in daily life.

 

For example, while bottled water was traditionally sold in plastic, iCOOP Cooperative Federation introduced paper-pack water, which is more easily recyclable. Citizens can now use paper-pack water in their daily lives, reflecting a small but meaningful shift toward sustainability. As environmental challenges like the climate crisis become more urgent, the role of cooperatives is increasingly significant.

 

Conclusion

 

Although consumer cooperatives have become more common, some people still see them merely as places to shop for groceries. However, visiting a cooperative store even once will reveal the value and purpose behind the products sold.

 

Cooperatives are a living model of the social economy. They have played a vital role in the past, continue to do so today, and will remain instrumental in expanding social value in Korean society in the future.