Sustainvest Marks 20 Years, Calls for Independent Proxy Advisory and a Sovereign Shareholders' Meeting

20th Anniversary Celebration
Breaking Away from Reliance on Foreign Advisors
Enhancing ESG Research Efficiency through AI

Ryu Youngjae, CEO of Sustainvest, delivered a commemorative speech on the 2nd at a hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, celebrating the company's 20th anniversary.

Sustainvest, a domestic proxy advisory firm, has marked its 20th anniversary. As ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) has taken root as a new standard, Sustainvest announced its ambition to enhance its evaluations using artificial intelligence (AI) and to establish an independent proxy advisory ecosystem within the capital market, aiming to solidify the concept of a 'sovereign shareholders' meeting.'

Ryu Youngjae, the founder and CEO of Sustainvest, outlined these plans during the company’s 20th anniversary event held on September 2, 2026 at a hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Established in 2006, Sustainvest was the first to initiate ESG evaluations for listed companies in Korea and currently provides proxy advisory services to institutions such as pension funds.

CEO Ryu stated, “Back in 2006, when the term ESG had yet to be defined, I founded Sustainvest out of a sense of mission to create a sound and sustainable society, and have persisted with faith and determination. Although this area remains a minority, if we move beyond the outdated framework of mere survivability and shift to a new framework centered on sustainability for all, more people will be willing to join us.”

He further explained, “Global advisory firms like ISS and Glass Lewis provide proxy advice to foreign institutions that hold considerable voting rights in Korean listed companies, but there have been recurring criticisms that their recommendations, labeled as global standards, are often disconnected from Korea’s legal system and market practices. What we need is proxy advisory that reflects the context and accurate information of our own market.”

He added, “Just as Sovereign AI stands on the independence of data and computing, the sovereign shareholders' meeting must be enabled by an advisory infrastructure that best understands our companies and our market. We must break away from habitual reliance on foreign entities and the uncritical adoption of developed countries’ methods.”

At the event, You Yeoncheol, Secretary-General of the United Nations Global Compact Korea Association, delivered a keynote speech entitled “In the Era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Transformation, What Choices Will We Make for a Sustainable Future?” Secretary-General You emphasized, “Ultimately, the true purpose of AI should be ‘AI for Life.’ We must strive for the coexistence of humanity, AI, and the Earth, protecting our planet and ecosystem while taking responsibility for future generations.”

Afterward, Koh Eunhae, Head of the AX Center at Sustainvest, shared the company's future strategies, stating, “ESG research faced bottlenecks as an excessive amount of time was spent reading overwhelming amounts of data. By assigning this role to AI and leaving final decisions to expert researchers, we have made the process more efficient.” She added, “Now, the field is shifting not just toward an increase in data volume, but toward an age where insight is drawn from data itself.”

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