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 way people live.

 

🌲Why war leads to social problems

 

As mentioned earlier, the various impacts of war on Korean society directly affect people’s daily lives, and this in turn leads to social problems.

 

A representative example is the rise in energy prices. Korea is one of the countries that cannot produce key energy resources such as oil domestically. Therefore, fuel prices fluctuate greatly depending on the war situation. In fact, it is common to see long lines of cars waiting at gas stations that offer even slightly lower prices.

 

Recently, the government has implemented even-odd vehicle restrictions and a five-day rotation system for public institutions in response to this energy crisis.

*Even-odd system: For public officials’ vehicles and government cars, only vehicles with license plate numbers ending in odd numbers can operate on odd-numbered days, and even-numbered vehicles on even-numbered days.

*Five-day system: For all vehicles using public parking lots (including visitors), access and parking are restricted based on the last digit of the license plate according to the day of the week.

 

There was also a recent incident. In Korea, garbage must be disposed of using designated trash bags. Due to the war in the Middle East, rumors spread that the supply of naphtha—needed to produce these bags—might be disrupted, leading to panic buying. The government has stated that there is currently no problem, but since naphtha is used not only for trash bags but also for packaging materials such as instant noodles and snacks, there are concerns that production and supply could be affected in the future.

 

In summary, rising energy prices caused by war can lead to inflation, which in turn burdens the everyday economy. As the saying goes, “disasters strike the lowest first,” meaning that vulnerable groups are affected the most.

 

🌳The importance of the social impact sector

 

As in other countries, the social impact sector in Korea plays a role in solving social problems while approaching them through business models. It protects vulnerable groups, provides jobs for those who need employment, supports their participation in society, and continues to seek ways to address local issues.

 

For example, consumer cooperatives have already started using recyclable paper packaging instead of plastic packaging to respond to environmental issues. In addition, other social impact enterprises provide stable jobs by employing vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly. At the same time, some initiatives install solar panels in idle village spaces to produce renewable energy and return the profits to local residents, thereby solving community problems.

 

In other words, the social impact sector designs and implements structures that turn current crises into opportunities. This is not a one-time response but an approach that changes the social system itself. This approach plays an important role not only in solving problems but also in ensuring sustainability.

 

🌵Social impact connects people to people

 

In Korean society, social impact has functioned as a way to overcome crises. During the 1997 IMF financial crisis, the social and solidarity economy expanded significantly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many social economy enterprises endured difficult conditions by declaring “zero layoffs.”

 

In this way, even in unpredictable crises, social impact continues to connect people and create new ways of responding.

 

How is your region responding to the current global crisis caused by the war in the Middle East?

 

👉Read related articles

How Korea’s Social Economy Survived COVID-19: A Story of Solidarity

Energy Transition in Korea: A Sustainable Future Driven by Social Economy

Why Cooperatives Are Seen as a Solution to Social Problems: Cases from Korea

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