KCCI Opens Pre-Registration for the 3rd Social Value Festa Korea

To Be Held at COEX, Seoul, on September 21-22
A Record-Breaking Event with Over 400 Organizations and 15,000 Participants
Major Companies Join In, Including POSCO, Lotte, S-OIL, and Leading Game Companies

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry is set to host the nation's largest social value event, where companies and citizens come together to share and directly experience practical cases addressing social issues.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on the 24th that advance registration for visitors to the "3rd Social Value Festa Korea," which will be held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul from September 21 to 22, will open on the same day.

This year's event, held under the theme “From Thought to Action, From Problem to Solution,” will significantly expand participation to over 400 companies and organizations. With government, academia, civic groups, and the general public expected to attend, the event is projected to attract around 15,000 people, marking the largest scale in its history.

Notably, according to a survey conducted last year among approximately 3,700 visitors, 41.3% of respondents were members of the general public, and 62.1% of all visitors were in their 20s and 30s. Furthermore, 85.4% of participants said their interest in social value increased significantly after attending the event, reflecting overwhelmingly positive feedback.

This year, in line with its record size, the event venue has been relocated to Hall A on the first floor of COEX to enhance visitor accessibility and flow, and the exhibition area has been expanded. Rather than individual booths, the exhibition will be organized into four themed zones: “Cooperation,” “Innovation·Environment,” “Region,” and “Society.” Each zone will present diverse content linked to social values, including regional balanced development, youth employment, and education.

Companies will share specific examples of practical actions they have taken to address social issues by leveraging their respective areas of expertise. For example, Lotte Department Store, participating in the Society Zone, will showcase its achievements from ten years of the “Rejoice (RE:JOICE)” social contribution campaign, including psychological counseling services for women, youth, and marginalized groups. In the Innovation·Environment Zone, POSCO Group will present its circular resource business, recycling steel manufacturing by-products, while S-OIL will introduce its support project for the growth of social enterprises in the environmental sector.

In the Region Zone, Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), Korea National Railway, KORAIL Distribution, and Korea Railroad Research Institute will propose cooperation models between railway organizations and social enterprises. Korea Tourism Organization plans to introduce its "workation" program, a work-and-vacation initiative gaining attention as a solution to the risk of regional decline. In the Innovation·Environment Zone, Smilegate Hope Studio will utilize the gaming company's strengths to create experiences in which enjoyable participation directly contributes to solving social problems. NC Culture Foundation, located in the Society Zone, will introduce its artificial intelligence (AI)-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) project to help individuals who have difficulty expressing and understanding through speech and writing, enabling them to communicate through drawings, voices, and emotions.

Additionally, there will be the “SOVAC Market,” promoting value-based consumption in areas such as eco-friendliness, fair trade, and resource circulation, and a sustainable food and beverage (F&B) zone focusing on environmentally friendly options. Throughout the Festa, over 40 conference sessions and more than 20 special programs will be available on a rolling basis.

Cho Youngjun, Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Management at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated, "Solving social problems is no longer the task of a few companies or experts—it is an area where any citizen can participate. This year's Festa is designed so that visitors don't merely recognize the issues, but can become a part of the solution through experience, participation, and value-driven consumption."

Advance registration is free and open to all on the official Social Value Festa Korea website. Registration will remain open until September 18. Pre-registered visitors can enter the venue without waiting by scanning their issued QR code on-site.

Front view of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Photo by Yonhap News

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.