Inside Korea’s Social Impact

  What is the Social and Solidarity Economy?❓💬   Globally, terms like “social and solidarity economy” or “social impact” are used to describe a broad range of organizations working to solve social problems.   However, Korea is both similar and different. While organizations pursuing social purposes do exist, structurally they are divided into different types. From the outside, it may look like a single ecosystem, but in reality, it is segmented into multiple systems and institutional frameworks.   Differences in Scope Between Overseas and Korea🐣   In Europe and other regions, a wide range of organizations are included within the social and solidarity economy. These include cooperatives, mutual societies, social enterprises, non-profit organizations (NPOs), foundations, and self-help groups.   In other words, both formal and informal economic activities are included, and the focus is on the “social purpose” regardless of whether the org...

  In a previous post, we looked at how Korea has been announcing a “Master Plan for Cooperatives” every three years since the Framework Act on Cooperatives was enacted. We also briefly reviewed the key directions of the 1st through 4th Master Plans.   <Related post> Korea Announces a “Basic Plan for Cooperatives” Every Three Years   Today, I will take a closer look at the contents of the 5th Master Plan for Cooperatives announced by the Korean government on April 6. This plan will be implemented over three years, from 2026 to 2028. The government stated that it expects cooperatives to play a “central role in solving regional problems and strengthening the social safety net.”   (Left) Cooperative establishment scale graph, (Right) Share of workers from vulnerable groups (Source: Ministry of Strategy and Finance) Current Status and Challenges of Cooperatives in Korea   Since the Framework Act on Cooperatives was enacted in 2012, more than 2,0...

  Once a month, on the last Saturday morning of each month, there is a gathering I make sure not to miss. It is a Social Peer Learning (SPL) meeting. SPL has been running for just over a year now. It was first proposed by a practitioner in the field, bringing together people working in various organizations and institutions to learn from one another. I have been participating since the very beginning — perhaps even as a “model member” (laugh).   **Although I usually use the term “Social and Solidarity Economy” on this blog, in this article I use “Social Economy” to reflect the official name of the group. ➡See related post The Shift in Terminology: From “Social Economy” to “Social Solidarity Economy” From This Year On, I Will Use the Term “Social and Solidarity Economy” Instead of “Social Economy” During my years working as a journalist, one of the greatest advantages I experienced was that I was, in a sense, compelled to study the field I belonged to. I covered numerous ev...