Inside Korea’s Social Impact

  In a previous post, I explored how Korea’s traditional community practice of “gye” has evolved into modern forms of social finance.   👉Related article Korea’s Traditional Community Finance “Gye”: Its Expansion into Social Finance (Part 1)   From Traditional Gye to Social Finance in Korea (Part 2) On the 20th, the 2026 Global Forum on Value-Based Finance was held, where a declaration for promoting a value-based financial cooperative was presented. This reflects a growing effort to create a financial system that operates not only on profit, but on values.   In this post, I will share key discussions from the forum and examine why finance should be guided by social purpose.   Poster of the Global Forum on Value-Based Finance held on the 20th(Source: Social Innovation Entrepreneur Network) Why Do We Need a Value-Based Financial Cooperative?   To some extent, the question of “why” has already been addressed in previous posts. However, it i...

  Korea’s social economy and social innovation sector have traditionally developed under central government-led policies. However, in recent years, the trend has shifted. A new wave of innovation is emerging — one that is grounded in local diversity and on-the-ground experience.   Across the country, regional change is becoming more visible. Local communities are no longer just recipients of social problems; they are becoming active agents, experimenting with and spreading their own solutions. At the heart of this transformation are regional social innovation hubs .   Social Campus On logo (Source: Screenshot from the Seoul Center page of the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency) What Are Regional Social Innovation Hubs?   A social innovation hub is a collaborative space where social innovators , social ventures , startups, residents, youth, businesses, and public institutions work together to identify local challenges and develop solutions based on...

The  Korea Social Value Solidarity Fund  is working to create a financial ecosystem that supports the growth of social economy enterprises. (Source: Screenshot from the Korea Social Value Solidarity Fund website)   Why Social Finance ? Traditionally, finance has focused on maximizing profits. However, as social issues like climate change , inequality , aging populations , and regional decline intensify, there is a growing global movement to use capital to address these problems. Amid this shift, the concept of Social Finance has emerged. What is Social Finance?   When I first heard the term social finance, the first question that came to mind was “How is it different from conventional finance ?”   The answer is straightforward. Social finance is not just about generating profit; it aims to simultaneously solve social problems and expand social value.   In other words, social finance considers both financial returns and social/environmental impa...