Inside Korea’s Social Impact

  Korean social impact organizations pursue both “social value” and “profit” at the same time. In other words, they create social value through business methods. Because of this, many social impact organizations in Korea were often positively recognized simply for having “good intentions.” In particular, activities such as creating jobs for vulnerable groups or solving community problems were considered meaningful in themselves.   However, as the social impact ecosystem gradually expanded, it became increasingly difficult to fully explain the role and achievements of organizations through “good intentions” alone. Especially during the previous administration, as greater emphasis was placed on the self-reliance and sustainability of the social and solidarity economy and social innovation organizations, this atmosphere spread even further.   Around 2022, the importance of impact measurement — proving “what changed and how” — began to receive serious attention. Korea...

  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...

  The ongoing war in the Middle East has thrown the international community into confusion. In Korea as well, news about the Middle East war is constantly being delivered through TV, news outlets, and even YouTube channels. Nevertheless, there are also many people who do not pay much attention to the war. Since the Middle East, where the war is taking place, is geographically far from Korea, it may be difficult for people to truly feel its impact.   🌱But is war really unrelated to us?   The media continuously reports on the reality of the war, but it is difficult to directly experience the situation in Korea. However, if we think about it a little more, the war is already having a significant impact on Korean society. The most intuitive example is its effect on the stock market. In addition, it directly affects our daily lives through rising energy prices, inflation, and supply chain instability. In other words, the war is shaking Korea’s economy and changing the...