Ministry of Health and Welfare seeks stronger private partnerships

The Ministry of Health and Welfare convened private-sector groups on Aug. 6 to pursue stronger cooperation on social contribution as government alone finds emerging social risks difficult to address.

First Vice Minister Hyeon Su-yeop chaired the meeting at Conference House Dalkkaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, where the ministry aimed to hear obstacles private groups face and find practical ways to collaborate on social problems.

Participants included corporate foundations Kakao Impact, Samsung Welfare Foundation, IBK Happiness Sharing Foundation and Naver Happybean, as well as social enterprises and social ventures such as Bear Better, Happy Connect and Bluebird C.

Participants exchanged views on the direction of public-private cooperation, regulatory and other constraints encountered in the field, and possible institutional improvements. They also raised the need for incentives to encourage private-sector participation.

"As new social risks emerge, including isolated and reclusive young people that government alone finds hard to address, cooperation with the private sector, with its flexibility, innovation and locally rooted capacity to act, is not an option but a necessity," Hyeon said.

"The government will prepare measures to support private-sector social-contribution activities in various ways, based on the valuable opinions shared today," he added.

Corporate social-contribution activity has grown in scale and quality, while its participants have become more diverse, the ministry said. The government has discussed support measures to counter a decline in corporate donations amid difficult conditions, including high prices and interest rates, and foster a sustainable social-contribution ecosystem.

The Community Social Contribution Recognition System assesses and recognizes companies and institutions that help solve local problems, and provides incentives. The ministry has also appointed a social-contribution innovation advisory group.

Baroit is an online platform that links companies' social-contribution resources, including technology, services and personnel, with the on-the-ground needs of nonprofit implementing organizations.