Mobilizing Corporate Technology, Talent, and Funding to Tackle Social Issues…Government-wide Launch of 'Connect for All'

The government is set to launch the "Connect for All" project—a whole-of-government public-private partnership initiative designed to address various social issues in the welfare sector by linking them with the technologies, human resources, and funding of private companies.

Jeong Eun-Kyung, Minister of Health and Welfare, is responding during the government questioning session on education, society, and culture at the 439th regular session of the National Assembly held on the 14th. Photo by Yonhap News

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 22nd that it had reported the implementation plan for "Connect for All" during the Cabinet meeting held that day. While many companies have shown a strong commitment to social contribution, there have been considerable practical difficulties due to the lack of effective channels with the public sector, often taking several months just to identify the appropriate government department.

This project aims to proactively identify societal issues within the welfare sector where private sector involvement is critical, match them with suitable companies, and establish a structure for sharing results. The selected partnership initiatives and specific requests for support will be centrally listed on "Baroit," an online social contribution matching platform.

Notably, when companies register their technologies, expertise, and human or material resources, an AI-based recommendation system will automatically connect them to the most suitable welfare initiatives. The government plans to link a system for awards and acknowledgments to private companies and organizations that contribute to problem-solving, thus encouraging broader participation and dissemination of results across the private sector.

The first initiative under "Connect for All" is "Youth STEP," which has been selected to provide both emotional care and paid work experiences to vulnerable youths, including young people preparing for independence as well as those who are socially isolated or withdrawn and face challenges adapting to society.

To ensure the seamless implementation of the project, the Ministry of Health and Welfare signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Woori Financial Group and the Community Chest of Korea on the same day. Under this agreement, Woori Financial Group will contribute a total of 3 billion won over the next three years, while the government will be responsible for identifying and linking young people in need of support.

Jung Eunkyung, Minister of Health and Welfare, stated, "In order to address the complex and multifaceted social issues of today, it is essential to combine the government’s policy capabilities with the resources and expertise held by the private sector." She emphasized, "With 'Connect for All' as a turning point, we will establish a new type of public-private partnership model in which the government, companies, and the broader private sector each leverage their unique strengths to create synergy."

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