Korea Economic Association Survey Targets Top 500 Companies by Sales
Average Social Contribution Expenditure Per Company Reaches 16.57 Billion Won Last Year
Total Expenditure Hits 5.3843 Trillion Won, Driven by Increase in Respondents
Social Contribution Expenditure Ratio to Sales Stands at 0.19%
Last year, the average social contribution expenditure of major companies in Korea reached an all-time high.
Employees of tenant companies are moving at the Korea Economic Association in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@
According to the "2025 Social Value Report of Major Companies," released on December 15 by the Korea Economic Association based on an analysis of 353 out of the top 500 companies by sales, the average social contribution expenditure per company last year amounted to 16.57 billion won. This is the highest figure since the survey began in 2002, and represents an increase of 500 million won compared to the 16.07 billion won recorded in 2023.
An official from the Korea Economic Association analyzed, "As both the sales and operating profits of the top 500 companies increased last year compared to the previous year, it appears that companies have expanded their efforts to return profits to society."
The total scale of social contribution spending also surged to 5.3843 trillion won, a significant increase from 3.5191 trillion won the previous year. This is attributed to the increase in the number of responding companies from 219 to 325 during the same period. The ratio of social contribution expenditure to sales last year was 0.19%, up 0.07 percentage points from 0.12% the previous year, while the ratio to pre-tax profit rose by 0.6 percentage points to 2.8%.
The average annual volunteer hours per employee reached 5.8 hours, an increase of 1.6 hours from 4.2 hours the previous year, marking the highest level in the past five years. In addition, companies were found to be expanding new types of social contribution programs to address various social issues. An analysis of newly introduced social contribution projects over the past two years showed that the "children and youth" sector accounted for the largest share (24%), followed by community development (17.3%), environment (12.1%), and people with disabilities (9.4%).
In terms of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) issues, companies placed the most emphasis on "social" (42%), followed by "environment" (33%) and "governance" (25%). The main challenges cited in ESG management included "responding to domestic and international regulations and policies such as sustainability disclosures" (49.3%), "the cost burden of implementing ESG management" (15.3%), "low awareness and cooperation regarding ESG within the organization" (15.3%), and "difficulties in managing supply chains including partner companies" (12.1%).
Lee Sangyoon, Head of the Center for Sustainable Growth at the Korea Economic Association, stated, "Companies are increasingly diversifying their efforts to create social value based on their unique strengths and capabilities," adding, "To ensure that social contribution activities continue stably and bring about real change, it is necessary to establish an environment that supports corporate autonomy and innovation."
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