Inside South Korea’s Social Impact

  It is hot. It is simply too hot. Every day feels like living inside a scorching furnace.   Anyone who has visited South Korea during the summer knows just how intense it gets. The sun is blazing, driving temperatures sky-high, while the high humidity naturally restricts daily activities. To make matters worse, the unavoidable summer rainy season known as Jangma pushes the discomfort index to its peak.   Whenever I hear the term 'climate crisis,' the first thing that comes to my mind is 'a scorching summer.' Relentlessly hot weather and overwhelming downpours. Even today, I am directly experiencing this intense heat driven by the climate crisis.   🌝Climate Crisis Does Not Impact Everyone Equally   Yet, many people still view the 'climate crisis' as a distant concern — an abstract problem centered around carbon emissions or melting glaciers. However, climate disasters such as heatwaves, severe cold snaps, and urban flooding do not impact everyon...

The 'Co-operative Future Generation Seminar' in session as a side event for Co-operatives Day on July 6th.(Photo by Milly)   The term "Social and Solidarity Economy" (SSE) remains somewhat unfamiliar to the general public in South Korea. Even when people engage in activities rooted in SSE values, they often do not realize that their actions align with this broader framework.   Yet, to build a sustainable society, the SSE ecosystem must continuously expand — and its sustainability ultimately rests upon the shoulders of future generations. What matters most is providing young people with the hands-on experiences and learning opportunities necessary to become active drivers of this economy. How and what we teach them today will directly shape the worldview of tomorrow's leaders.   On July 6th, during a national event celebrating co-operatives, I attended a seminar focused on a topic I have been deeply interested in lately: "Education." Why do youth ...