Inside Korea’s Social Impact

  The realization of a Basic Society, one of the major policy directions in South Korea today, is being actively discussed as a way to respond more proactively to the various challenges facing our society.   👀Read Part 1 Revitalizing Korea’s Social and Solidarity Economy and Realizing a Basic Society (Part 1)   In the previous article, we emphasized that the government’s Basic Society policy is not a support measure designed specifically for the social and solidarity economy, but rather that the Basic Society and the social and solidarity economy exist in a complementary relationship. In this article, we explore the conditions under which Basic Society policies can function effectively in practice, as well as strategies for mutual growth between Basic Society policies and the social and solidarity economy.   😎Conditions for the Functioning of a Basic Society   A Basic Society operates on the following three institutional pillars:   Gua...

Mutual growth between the Basic Society and the Social and Solidarity Economy can contribute to realizing a Basic Society.(Photo by Milly)    One of the core policy priorities of the South Korean government is the realization of a “Basic Society.”   This vision is a strategic response to the major challenges currently facing Korean society, including the growing demand for care, inequality, regional decline, low birth rates and population aging, and the climate crisis. In particular, as it has become increasingly difficult to ensure sustainable growth through existing welfare policies alone, the current administration’s Basic Society agenda can be understood as an effort to guarantee human dignity for all citizens of Korea. In this context, the revitalization of the social and solidarity economy has been emphasized as a key strategy for realizing a Basic Society.   ⭐However, it is important to note that Basic Society policies are not simply support measures f...

 On June 3, 2025, Lee Jae-myung was elected as the 21st President of the Republic of Korea. In this election, President Lee presented his pledges on the "basic society" and the social economy as one of Korea’s future strategic directions. This goes beyond merely supplementing the existing welfare system and emphasizes the potential of the social economy as a new societal paradigm that ensures all citizens can lead a life of dignity and stability. A basic society refers to a society that does not stop at fragmentary welfare policies or simple income redistribution, but one that guarantees a basic and stable life for all citizens in a tangible way. President Lee stressed that, “Realizing a basic society cannot be achieved by the government alone. It requires cooperation among various actors, including social economy organizations, cooperatives, private enterprises, and civil society organizations.” This multi-stakeholder cooperation, he emphasized, is what will make policies mo...