Social and Solidarity Economy Adopted as a National Policy Agenda by South Korea’s Current Government (Part 1)

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 Among South Korea’s 123 national policy agendas under the current administration, one particularly notable inclusion is the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). The government adopted “Promoting the Growth of the Social and Solidarity Economy” as Agenda No. 81, which marks a significant shift compared to the previous administration, during which funding for the SSE sector was drastically reduced.

 

From my personal perspective, public support from the government is necessary to a certain extent when it comes to the Social and Solidarity Economy. This is because the SSE does not merely engage in “business,” but simultaneously pursues solutions to social problems. In doing so, it effectively takes on roles that would otherwise fall under the responsibility of the public sector.

 

For this reason, the inclusion of the Social and Solidarity Economy in the current government’s national policy agenda carries considerable meaning. It is not simply about being listed as a policy item, but rather about recognizing the potential for mutual cooperation between the government and the SSE sector in addressing social challenges through sustainable approaches. This article explores the content of the government’s SSE promotion agenda and the significance it holds.

 

The government included “Promoting the Social and Solidarity Economy” as a national policy agenda
(Image source: Screenshot from the National Policy Agenda page on the Korean Government Policy Briefing website)


Why Attention Is Turning to the Social and Solidarity Economy Now

 

As mentioned in previous posts, South Korea is currently facing a range of complex social challenges. Low birth rates and population aging, regional decline driven by excessive concentration in the capital region, the climate crisis, and widening inequality are issues that cannot be resolved quickly through a single government policy or institutional reform. In other words, simple state-led support measures alone are insufficient to address these multifaceted problems. At the same time, approaches based solely on market-driven logic also reveal clear limitations.

 

Within this context, the Social and Solidarity Economy represents a mode of problem-solving that has already been operating in practice at the community level. Cooperatives, social enterprises, community-based enterprises, and social ventures have accumulated experience and business capabilities across areas such as employment, care, and housing. This is precisely why the Social and Solidarity Economy deserves attention at this moment.

 

What the National Policy Agenda on the Social and Solidarity Economy Includes

 

National Policy Agenda No. 81 focuses on “Promoting the Growth of the Social and Solidarity Economy.”

Its goals include establishing a legal foundation and an integrated policy framework for the SSE, improving access to finance for SSE organizations, and strengthening growth support mechanisms.

 

The key components include:

👉Enactment of a Framework Act on the Social and Solidarity Economy

👉Establishment of public–private cooperation support systems

👉Activation of social finance

👉Support for the growth of SSE organizations

 

➡Related Articles

👉Why South Korea Still Doesn’t Have a Basic Law for the Social Economy

👉Social Finance: The Flow of Money That Changes Society

 

Through this agenda, the government aims to revitalize the SSE ecosystem and secure long-term sustainability by enabling scale-up based on solidarity and cooperation.

 

The government expects that these policy measures will promote the growth of the Social and Solidarity Economy, contributing to job creation, the mitigation of polarization, responses to regional decline, and the restoration of trust within communities—thereby addressing a wide range of economic and social challenges.

 

Conclusion

 

The adoption of the Social and Solidarity Economy as a national policy agenda signals a recognition that social problem-solving cannot rely solely on government-led approaches. Sustainable solutions require meaningful connections between the state, local communities, residents, and collective actors.

 

In this process, the Social and Solidarity Economy plays a crucial role as a connector—linking policies to real-life contexts and enabling collaboration across different social actors.

 


😃In the next article, we will examine how actors in South Korea’s Social and Solidarity Economy field have responded since the sector was adopted as a national policy agenda.😗

 

 

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