Korean countryside, photographed by me. (Photo by Milly)  Social innovation in Korea is not a recent phenomenon. In fact, it has long been embedded in the everyday lives of Korean people. Its roots lie in the culture of “community.” Traditionally, Korean society had a strong culture of mutual aid and cooperation among neighbors. What we now call “social innovation” was already being practiced in various forms within these traditional community structures. Some representative examples of traditional Korean community practices include Gye, Dure, Hyangyak, and Pumasi. Gye : A system in which a group of people regularly contribute a set amount of money to a collective fund, which is then distributed to members in turn. It served as a grassroots financial tool for those without access to formal banking. Dure : A cooperative labor system in which villagers helped each other with farming, especially during busy agricultural seasons. It was essential to the functioning of rural communities...