KB Financial Group partners with Heemangjaksojo to find young social innovators tackling local challenges

KB Financial Group announced Thursday it will jointly run the "2026 Social Designer Project" with civic think tank Heemangjaksojo to identify young social innovators who have been addressing unmet needs and local challenges in their communities.

The project was designed to discover young social designers active in local communities ahead of Population Day on Saturday, connecting them with civic validation and follow-up collaboration. This year's program focuses on responses to regional depopulation and youth issues.

KB Financial Group will commit 200 million won ($132,000) to support the entire project, covering case discovery, civic verification, content production and impact dissemination. The group plans to help social innovation models developed on the ground reach a wider public and lead to sustainable partnerships.

Applications are open through Sept. 30. Any young social innovator running an action-based model to address local problems is eligible to apply, regardless of organizational form — including social enterprises, corporations, nonprofits and cooperatives. Applications are accepted through the official Heemangjaksojo website.

Finalists will document their problem awareness and activity models through interviews and content production, then compete in the Social Impact Investment (SIR) Competition.

The SIR Competition is a social value investment program in which citizens listen to social designers' presentations and take part in mock investment decisions. KB Financial Group has participated as an official partner alongside the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry's New Entrepreneurship Council, the Asan Nanum Foundation and Kakao. This year, a total of 40 million won in investment funds will be distributed based on the choices of an audience jury of about 200 people.

Additional activities planned include the publication of an impact report, case content production, networking sessions and partnership linkages.

"The Social Designer Project aligns with the group's vision of innovation and mutual growth, in that it transforms local problems into sustainable services and projects," a KB Financial Group official said. "We will actively support young social innovators so their work can reach more citizens and communities."