Inside Korea’s Social Impact

  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...

  [Editor’s Note🖉] Korea’s cooperative movement and social and solidarity economy have grown rapidly over a relatively short period of time, supported by legal and institutional frameworks. Since the enactment of the Framework Act on Cooperatives in 2012, cooperatives have expanded steadily across various sectors, evolving beyond a single organizational form.   Today, however, the central question is shifting — from “How many cooperatives have been created?” to “How well are they actually functioning?” The focus is moving away from quantitative growth toward qualitative maturity.   This interview captures the perspective of Kim Wang-young, CEO of CoopBiz Cooperative, who has long engaged with cooperatives and the social and solidarity economy through the lens of education. As both a young practitioner and a long-time participant in the field, he offers candid reflections from on-the-ground experience. Rather than focusing solely on institutional outcomes or busin...

  [Editor’s Note🖍] Korea’s social solidarity economy (often referred to as the social economy) is frequently described as “meaningful work.” Yet behind that phrase lie many practical challenges that are not easily visible. Organizations and individuals who place social value at the center of their work often find themselves navigating constant choices between the market and institutional systems.   This article is the second interview with Seonguk Jeon, CEO of the social venture Soact Co., Ltd. He is also a member of SE-ACT, which was introduced in the previous interview.   In this conversation, Jeon shares challenges and concerns drawn from his own experiences as well as from observing the field up close. He speaks calmly about the gap between social value and consumers, concerns around stability and sustainability, and how younger generations view the social economy in Korea.   Rather than portraying the social solidarity economy as an idealized model,...

  When people talk about social economy organizations or social innovation enterprises in South Korea, attention is usually focused on founders, CEOs, or frontline practitioners. Far less visible, however, are those who quietly make these organizations function on a daily basis: middle managers.   In Korea’s social and solidarity economy (SSE) and social innovation sector, middle managers play a critical role in sustaining organizations. This article explores what middle managers actually do in the Korean context — and why their role matters more than we often acknowledge.   In South Korea, middle managers typically hold titles such as team leader, section chief, or department head. I worked in the role of a team leader.(Photo by Milly)   Structural Characteristics of Korea’s SSE and Social Innovation Organizations   I previously worked at a media organization that held preliminary social enterprise certification. In that organization, I served ...