[Photo] Lee Dong-jin, Dobong-gu Mayor, Presents on Revitalizing Social Economy in Local Governments at the 12th Asia Future Forum

Reviewing achievements of the 'Dongbuk 4-gu Administrative Council' and the 'National Social Solidarity Economy Local Government Council,' emphasizing the need for qualitative growth support to move from start up to scale up and the expansion of institutional foundations through the enactment of the Social Economy Basic Act.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dongjin Lee, Mayor of Dobong-gu, participated in the 12th Asia Future Forum held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 21st, hosted and organized by the Hankyoreh Economic and Social Research Institute, and delivered a presentation titled "Activation of Social Economy by Local Governments - Achievements and Challenges."

The 12th Asia Future Forum opened on October 20 under the theme "Great Transformation for Coexistence: Creating the Future Together" to seek a better society and sustainable development. On the second day, the 21st, local government heads who led the creation of the social economy ecosystem, social economy workers, and experts gathered to evaluate the social economy over the past decade and discuss future growth plans.

At the forum, Dongjin Lee, as a three-term mayor who directly experienced the growth process of the social economy during the 5th to 7th local elections (2010?2021), shared efforts and achievements so far and presented on the tasks for local governments preparing for the next ten years.

First, Mayor Lee mentioned the results of solidarity and cooperation carried out over the past decade to activate the social economy, such as the "Northeast 4 Districts Administrative Council" and the "National Social Solidarity Economy Local Governments Council," and announced the quantitative and institutional achievements made in the social economy sector to date.

In particular, reflecting on the limitations local governments faced during the promotion of social economy activation, he emphasized two future development tasks: ▲ the need to support qualitative growth to move from "start up" to "scale up," and ▲ the expansion of institutional foundations through the enactment of the "Social Economy Basic Act."

Mayor Dongjin Lee has been actively working on social economy activation projects, including joining the call for the enactment of the Social Economy Basic Act through the National Social Solidarity Economy Local Governments Council.

After concluding his presentation, Mayor Lee stated, "The Social Economy Basic Act aims to transform the past capital-centered economic system into a 'people-centered economy.' I believe social economy is an important direction for our society to reconsider during this time when the economy has frozen due to COVID-19. I hope the warm values of the social economy, which reach low and close places, will warmly embrace society as a whole."