Inside South Korea’s Social Impact

  Today, South Korea faces an increasingly complex set of social challenges, including care shortages, the climate crisis, regional decline, and the digital divide. To address these issues, not only the government but also many Korean companies are working to create social change through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.   However, these challenges are difficult for the government to solve alone. As a result, in February 2026, the Korean government established the Social Contribution Innovation Advisory Group as a way to more strategically utilize corporate social contribution efforts in addressing social problems.   The Social Contribution Innovation Advisory Group was launched as part of a public-private collaboration framework, allowing the government and private sector to discuss corporate social contribution together, with the government serving as a key facilitator.   The advisory group consists of private-sector experts from major c...

  In many countries, social impact is primarily driven by non-profits, social enterprises, and the public sector. Korea is not very different. In fact, when explaining social impact to those unfamiliar with the concept, many people tend to think of it as an area centered on public services or welfare.   However, the reality is slightly different. While it is true that social impact carries a strong public nature due to its mission of addressing social problems and achieving social goals, a closer look reveals that general corporations — especially large companies — also play a significant role in the development of the social impact ecosystem.   That said, the way corporations engage has evolved. In the past, corporate involvement often took the form of donations, one-time social contribution activities, or ESG being included as part of a broader business strategy. Recently, however, more companies are approaching social contribution with a long-term perspective, ...

Top 10 Keywords from Korea’s 2025 Volunteerism Trend Report (Photo by Milly)  South Korea faces diverse social challenges, including low birth rates, population aging, regional decline, deepening inequality, and the climate crisis. Among the ways to address these issues, volunteerism plays a crucial role in driving positive social change and keeping society healthy.   In particular, the active engagement of younger generations - who are familiar with digital tools and artificial intelligence - combined with the experience and know-how of older generations, and the collaboration of companies and institutions, is creating a richer and more diverse culture of volunteering than ever before.   In this article, following Part 1, we will introduce five more volunteerism trends highlighted in the “Volunteer 2025” report published by the Korea Volunteer Culture Association.   ⑥ The Expansion of Eco-Friendly Volunteering   Korea has recently experienc...