Asia Socio-Economic Report 2021, Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency KoSEA

For many consecutive years, the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency (KoSEA) has been the focal point to build a network of business support organizations in Asia, especially East Asia. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, network connection activities have been halted. KoSEA has proposed the initiative on the implementation of an annual report on social enterprises in East Asia in overcoming difficulties and challenges of Covid-19. Therefore, the Asia Socio-Economic Area Report 2020 was born.

Following the success of the cooperation of the parties in launching the 2020 Socio-economic Sector Report, regional partners in which VID Institute is a Vietnamese partner continued to write the Regional Report on the Asian Socio-Economic Region in 2021. The 2021 Report focuses only on social enterprises.

The newspaper consists of 5 parts showing the story of social enterprises in 5 countries including:

• Singapore
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Vietnam
• Korea

The 5 Vietnamese social enterprises demonstrated in the Asian Socio-Economic Report 2021 include:

• HASU is a social impact enterprise with the mission of bringing technology to improve and enhance the quality of life for the elderly, helping them access comprehensive health care: Physically, Mentally and Enhance social communication. Through training classes on technology and Application Development with features to serve the needs of the elderly’s life, HASU aims to change positive behavior in accessing technology, so that the elderly are not left behind in the 4.0 era.
• HLCS is a Social Enterprise for the Deaf in Vietnam. The enterprise is also the community of parents with children with hearing impairments, in addition to training and social integration activities for deaf children, and job search and connection for deaf children.
• Quoc Viet Seafood is a leading family business in processing and exporting shrimp from Vietnam. The company was established in 1996, with export products to all major shrimp and seafood markets in the world.
• Respect Vietnam: Since 2013, Respect Vietnam has transformed itself from a non-profit technical organization to a hybrid organization with a special mission to introduce people-centered thinking & an established knowledge framework and proven globally for high impact and fast growing businesses & organizations in Vietnam & the region. WE@WORK platform transition from 2.0 to 4.0, successfully showcased 150 industry leaders and decision makers in the simplest possible way to centralize employee interaction data to drive efficiency cost-effective business and reduce social risks, especially in the dawn of digital transformation trends and responsible business behaviors required by the international community in the process of Vietnam joining the Free Trade Agreements oriented by ESG. Over the past few years, Respect Vietnam has expanded its reach into non-manufacturing sectors, including high-impact real estate, hospitality, technology and education businesses.
• Vien Minh Melaleuca: Vien Minh specializes in the production of Melaleuca essential oil and products from Melaleuca essential oil with the desire to preserve and develop this special herb. This is a herb favored by nature in the middle of Vietnam with the sunny and windy areas of the central region. Not only that, Melaleuca trees have a more special mission – protect the soil, prevent erosion, sandstorms, and balance the pH in the soil very well. Melaleuca is a medicine with warm attribute, helping to prevent wind, supporting the treatment of flu, respiratory inflammation, joint pain, flatulence, indigestion, and has been applied by folk since the years of the war against the French and today by the Pharmaceutical companies also put into use as massage products, inhalation tablets to treat the above conditions very effectively. Vien Minh wishes to build a sustainable raw material area, bringing long-term value to consumers. Currently, Vien Minh’s 100ha raw material area has obtained the US – USDA organic certification after the support efforts of the Biotrade – Helvetas Project and the local people in Ha Tinh.