Message
Welcome to the Korea Sustainability Investing Forum (KoSIF).
KoSIF was founded in 2007 with a simple yet profound conviction: capital can, and must, serve a better future. At the time of our founding, we recognized that humanity was standing at a decisive turning point. While the industrial economy had delivered extraordinary growth and prosperity, it had also accelerated the climate crisis, environmental degradation, social inequality, and the fragmentation of communities.
The challenge before us was no longer simply how to grow, but how to build an economy capable of sustaining both people and the planet. KoSIF began with the belief that finance plays a decisive role in this transformation. Investment is never neutral. It shapes corporate behavior, drives innovation, rewards long-term value creation, and influences the kind of society we leave to future generations.
This is the spirit behind KoSIF’s founding declaration: to breathe a warm “soul” into capital and to make money work not only for profit, but also for the Earth, society, and future generations. We called this “awakened money,” and that founding spirit remains at the heart of KoSIF’s mission today.
Over the years, the language of responsible investment has evolved from SRI to ESG, sustainable finance, stewardship, transition finance, and impact investing. Yet the fundamental question remains unchanged: how can financial markets contribute to a sustainable society?
KoSIF’s answer is clear. ESG must not remain a public relations tool or a voluntary disclosure exercise. It must be embedded into investment decisions, corporate governance, risk management, stewardship, public policy, and market standards. Sustainability must move from the margins of finance to the core operating logic of capital markets.
To this end, KoSIF works to advance responsible investment and sustainable finance in Korea. We promote ESG values, encourage active ownership and shareholder stewardship, foster long-term investment practices, and support the alignment of Korean financial markets with global standards, including the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). At the same time, we seek to develop approaches tailored to Korea’s economic, social, and institutional realities.
The challenges we face today are even more complex than they were at KoSIF’s founding. Climate change is accelerating, biodiversity loss is deepening, and inequality and social polarization are undermining public trust. Global supply chains are also being reshaped by human rights, carbon, and geopolitical risks. Financial institutions, corporations, policymakers, and civil society can no longer address these issues in silos.
KoSIF therefore serves as a bridge: between finance and sustainability, global standards and Korean practice, investors and companies, and market innovation and public purpose. We believe that a sustainable society cannot be built by a few experts or institutions alone. It requires the collective participation of citizens, investors, corporations, government, and civil society.
Our beginning was modest, but our aspiration has always been bold: to help create a virtuous cycle in which responsible companies are rewarded, investors pursue long-term value, financial markets foster social and environmental resilience, and communities share in the benefits of sustainable growth.
As KoSIF continues its journey, we remain firmly committed to our founding vision that finance can be a force for hope. We invite everyone who shares this vision to join us in building a more sustainable, responsible, and inclusive economy.
Thank you for your continued interest and support.
Karl Chun Seung YangFounder & Executive Director
Korea Sustainability Investing Forum (KoSIF)