Gwangju City Forms Social Economy Collaboration Team

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the afternoon of the 9th that it held the first meeting of the 'Social Economy Collaboration Team' in the Happiness Conference Room of City Hall to revitalize the social economy, where local residents create jobs and income by themselves through cooperatives or social enterprises.

The social economy is an economy in which production, distribution, and consumption are carried out based on cooperation and reciprocity to realize social values that contribute to public interest and community development. In Gwangju, there are 1,211 social economy organizations, including 265 social enterprises, village enterprises, self-support enterprises, and 946 cooperatives.

The collaboration team was formed to seek solutions for strengthening the self-sustainability of enterprises with poor independent foundations and creating a social economy ecosystem, despite the increasing number of social economy enterprises such as local cooperatives.

Led by Song Gwon-chun, the city's Job Policy Officer, the team consists of 19 members from 10 organizations, including the Youth Policy Officer, the Department of Autonomous Administration, the Department of Urban Regeneration Policy, five autonomous districts, the Employment and Labor Office, the City Education Office, and intermediary support organizations for the social economy.

At the meeting, the participants shared the directions and contents of each organization's social economy support projects for this year, discussed systematic support measures for revitalizing the social economy, proposed institutional improvements, and explored support plans for fostering social economy enterprises.

Additionally, through network sharing involving social economy stakeholders and intermediary support organizations, they plan to actively promote demand-centered policy development by seeking growth support measures for each type of social economy enterprise.

Park Jeong-hwan, Director of the City’s Job and Economy Office, said, “I hope that the value of the social economy can be collectively pursued by the Gwangju community,” and added, “We will strive to create a culture where various stakeholders communicate and cooperate to revitalize the social economy.”

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