Inside Korea’s Social Impact

  A few years ago, I saw a foreigner standing in front of several trash bins at a subway station, holding a disposable cup and hesitating. The bins were separated into categories like paper, plastic, and cans, and they seemed unsure where to throw their cup away. A passerby noticed the situation, asked what was wrong, and kindly pointed to the plastic bin.   For me, having been born and raised in Korea, separating waste is something very familiar. When I was young, my mother set up different bins at home for general waste, plastic, cans, and paper. My family naturally followed those rules.   Today, the system has become even more detailed. Waste is categorized into general waste, food waste, plastic, glass, metal (cans), paper, vinyl, and Styrofoam. General waste must be disposed of in designated paid garbage bags, while food waste must go into separate food waste bags or designated containers (which vary by region). Plastic labels must be removed and sorted separ...

  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...