The '2026 Co-op Day' Celebration, Filled with the Values of Win-Win and Solidarity

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Scenes from the 2026 Co-op Day Celebration.(Photo by Milly)


 On July 2, 2026—just a day after Social Enterprise Day on July 1—the 2026 Co-op Day Celebration was held at COEX Magok. The event was held in accordance with Article 12 of the Framework Act on Cooperatives, which states, "To promote understanding of cooperatives and encourage cooperative activities, the first Saturday of July each year shall be designated as Cooperatives Day, and the week preceding Cooperatives Day shall be designated as Cooperatives Week." It brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, cooperative representatives, and grassroots practitioners.

 

South Korea's cooperatives have grown rapidly in quantity since the enactment of the Framework Act on Cooperatives. Recently, the sector has been striving for qualitative growth, preparing for the "Co-op 2.0" era.

 

Approximately 600 attendees fill the venue for the official ceremony.(Photo by Milly)

The structure of this Co-op Day celebration was similar to that of Social Enterprise Day. A variety of programs were held, including an official ceremony, policy conferences, a policy exhibition, a flea market, and interactive experience zones.

 

During the celebration, which was attended by about 600 people, the President of South Korea delivered a congratulatory video message. Expressing deep gratitude to cooperative members nationwide who have worked hard for their communities and local economies, the President promised active policy support to foster exemplary cooperatives closely linked to daily life—such as in healthcare, caregiving, housing, education, and energy. This promise received enthusiastic applause from the attendees.

 

In addition, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Budget, who visited the venue, stated, "In the face of the massive AI transition and worsening polarization, cooperatives must now leap beyond simple quantitative expansion toward qualitative breakthroughs." He promised to make the upcoming year of 2027 the inaugural year for this great leap forward, providing comprehensive innovation support in areas such as education, talent cultivation, and finance. Rather than being a mere congratulatory remark, this carried significant meaning as it was an official promise from the government to continue policy support for the growth and development of cooperatives.

 

Along with the official ceremony, various side events such as conferences and a market were also held. In particular, the Policy Conference, held under the theme of "The Era of Social & Solidarity Economy: New Roles and Challenges for Cooperatives," provided an opportunity to examine the development direction of domestic cooperatives and share international cooperative case studies. In addition, various other programs were conducted, including the 'Cooperative Growth and Collaboration Network,' the 'Regional Cooperation Network for Neighborhood-Managed Social Cooperatives,' an 'Information Session on the Social Preferential Procurement System,' 'Capacity-Building Training for Public Officials Handling Cooperative Affairs,' 'Education and Seminars for the Future Generation of Cooperators,' and 'Academic Presentation of Policy Papers on Cooperatives.'

 

A bustling crowd gathers at the cooperative market booths.(Photo by Milly)


On the day of the event, a market was also set up in a dedicated booth section to sell products produced by cooperatives. Although I also attended the cooperative celebration last year, this year's market was bustling with an incredibly large crowd. Cooperative booths led by young people in their 20s ran interactive programs to engage with visitors, and some booths sold food products they produced directly. There were also booths selling various items such as candles and accessories, and it was common to see most attendees stopping by the market to buy products or listen to explanations about their value and quality.

 

This year's Co-op Day celebration beautifully demonstrated people coming together and standing in solidarity. Practitioners in the cooperative sector, even those who did not know each other well, greeted one another warmly and engaged in long conversations after not seeing each other for a while. It was such an exciting and joyful time for me as well, to the point where I thought to myself, "If the word 'solidarity' were to materialize into reality, it would look just like this."


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