FKI launches public vote to find Korea's top corporate social responsibility programs

The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) launched a public vote Monday for the inaugural "CSR Michelin Star" award, a campaign to recognize companies with outstanding social contribution programs. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Health and Welfare are co-sponsoring the initiative.

The name "CSR Michelin Star" blends corporate social responsibility with a nod to the Michelin guide. The campaign was designed to identify companies creating social value across a range of fields, including environmental protection, support for vulnerable groups, community development and nurturing future generations.

To ensure expertise and impartiality, FKI established a dedicated selection committee drawing on specialists from academia, the nonprofit and public-interest sector, international development cooperation and consumer advocacy. The committee will evaluate candidates based on social impact, authenticity, partnership, and sustainability and scalability.

Kim Eun-mi, chairwoman of the Ewha Haktang Foundation, heads the committee, which has six members in total, including Shin Hyun-sang, a professor at Hanyang University, Kim Si-won, editor-in-chief of The Butter, and Lee Seo-hye, chief executive of E-Consumer.

This year's awards will recognize a total of 10 outstanding corporate social responsibility programs — eight from large and mid-sized companies and two from small and medium-sized enterprises.

A total of 113 social contribution programs were submitted. After an initial review, the committee selected 20 as candidates for the public vote — 16 from large and mid-sized companies and four from small and medium-sized enterprises. The final 10 winners will be confirmed following two weeks of public voting through Nov. 8 and a final committee review.

The public can vote online at the official website, selecting up to three programs. An offline voting event will also be held at Ttukseom Hangang Park's Byeokcheon Madang from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The final selection will incorporate not only the public's online and offline votes but also results from a dedicated "CSR Michelin Star Voting Panel" of about 1,000 people assembled by research firm Mono Research, with representation balanced by gender, age and region.

The final score will be weighted as follows: the voting panel accounts for 50 percent, online votes for 25 percent and offline votes for 25 percent. After voting closes, the committee will conduct a final review to confirm the 10 winners.

The results will be announced at the inaugural CSR Michelin Star awards ceremony at the end of next month, planned as a year-end social contribution festival bringing together business leaders and youth.

FKI also plans to publish a report on the results of a "K-Social Value Survey" conducted jointly with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The report will include a "CSR Michelin Star Guide" appendix introducing the representative social contribution programs of selected companies, offering a comprehensive overview of corporate social contribution in Korea.

FKI Vice Chairman Kim Chang-beom said he hopes the award will give the public a chance to discover the diverse social contribution activities of Korean companies while giving businesses an opportunity to reflect on the value of their efforts. "Starting with this inaugural event, we will work to spread a participatory culture of social contribution in which the public and businesses create social value together," he said.