Social enterprise models such as cooperatives have existed in Korea for a long time, but the term "social enterprise" became prevalent after the establishment of Social Enterprise Promotion Act in 2007. After the establishment of the law in Korea, social enterprises have sprung up and the total number as of December 2010 is over five hundred. Korean social enterprises, however, have been criticized for their sustainability and lack of social innovation.
To compare key elements of social innovation between global and Korean social enterprises, I mainly adopted case studies as a research method of the thesis. Case studies of global social enterprises "Dialogue in the Dark" and "Kiva.org" are studied in order to suggest new approach for social enterprises in Korea.
It was found that global social enterprises are different from Korean social enterprises as follows: global social enterprises are replicable in any other socioeconomic conditions; losing no opportunity in expanding its business and social mission; relatively free from organizational type; and more entrepreneurial. Korean social enterprises, on the contrary, tend to emphasize more on the social missions than entrepreneurial activities.
Entrepreneurial elements of social entrepreneurship are important to manage social enterprise sustainability. It implies Korean social enterprises and entrepreneurs should have more innovative entrepreneurial minds. The role of Korean social enterprises should not be limited to only the creation of new job opportunities and the expansion of social services. To enhance of sustainability of Korean social enterprises, the government should stimulate their entrepreneurial and innovative mind by various policy measures.