Park Hong-geun, minister of the Office of Planning and Budget. (Yonhap)
Park Hong-geun, minister of the Office of Planning and Budget, said he will actively support cooperatives so they can strengthen essential parts of people’s lives and play an integrated role linking local economies with welfare and care services.
On the 23rd, Park visited the Salim Medical-Welfare Social Cooperative to review how cooperatives in the medical and care sectors are operating and to hold a policy meeting with cooperative officials.
Participants included local council representatives and field workers from medical and care, housing, energy, education, employee and youth cooperatives. They discussed ways to revitalize the cooperative sector.
The planning office previously set out five strategies under the “5th Basic Plan for Cooperatives (2026–2028),” branded S.M.I.L.E: Scale-up and competitiveness, Mutual cooperation and solidarity, Identity, Local community participation, and Efficiency. The meeting focused on how to apply those strategies in the field.
Park said the government plans to flesh out key mid- to long-term tasks for cooperative development, including expanding the supply of public services in local communities and revitalizing federations. He added that support will extend beyond medical and care services to areas such as housing and village management, education and energy.
He also said the government will work to create conditions for capable cooperative experts to be active by strengthening education and revitalizing federations, and will seek institutional improvements with relevant ministries so company employees can acquire and pass on businesses through cooperatives.
On the 23rd, Park visited the Salim Medical-Welfare Social Cooperative to review how cooperatives in the medical and care sectors are operating and to hold a policy meeting with cooperative officials.
Participants included local council representatives and field workers from medical and care, housing, energy, education, employee and youth cooperatives. They discussed ways to revitalize the cooperative sector.
The planning office previously set out five strategies under the “5th Basic Plan for Cooperatives (2026–2028),” branded S.M.I.L.E: Scale-up and competitiveness, Mutual cooperation and solidarity, Identity, Local community participation, and Efficiency. The meeting focused on how to apply those strategies in the field.
Park said the government plans to flesh out key mid- to long-term tasks for cooperative development, including expanding the supply of public services in local communities and revitalizing federations. He added that support will extend beyond medical and care services to areas such as housing and village management, education and energy.
He also said the government will work to create conditions for capable cooperative experts to be active by strengthening education and revitalizing federations, and will seek institutional improvements with relevant ministries so company employees can acquire and pass on businesses through cooperatives.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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