A high-level forum focused on sustainable development cooperation between Chinese and Korean businesses was successfully convened in Seoul.

From May 26 to 28, a special overseas session of the Sustainable Global Leaders Summit was held in the South Korean capital. The forum, titled "Sino-Korean Corporate Sustainable Development Exchange," took place on the 26th at the SK Taejuhyun Academy. Centered on green transformation, technological empowerment, and mutual growth, the event brought together leaders from government, business, and academia across both nations. Discussions delved deeply into ESG practices, the role of AI and green technology, the sustainability of cultural IP, and collaborative industrial innovation, all aimed at forging a new future for sustainable development cooperation.

SK Taejuhyun Academy

Kim Woo-seok, Dean of the SK Taejuhyun Academy, emphasized that in the face of global challenges like climate change, supply chain issues, and geopolitics, sustainable development is a common imperative for humanity. He stated that only by pooling wisdom and sharing experiences can Chinese and Korean companies find practical solutions. The Academy pledged to continue building platforms for academic and industrial exchange to promote green transition and the implementation of ESG principles.

SINA Corp

Deng Qingxu, CEO, highlighted the strong complementarity between Chinese and Korean enterprises in the sustainability field. He noted Korean companies' leading experience in high-end manufacturing, green technology, and innovative management, paired with Chinese firms' significant advantages in market scale, industrial chains, and large-scale implementation, creates vast potential for collaboration. He committed the platform to continue telling the story of green cooperation and embedding sustainable concepts deeper into public consciousness.

Former UN Under-Secretary-General Kim Won-soo issued a warning, noting a lag in progress toward global sustainable development goals and the severe crises facing humanity. He called for China and South Korea to use the UN SDGs and ESG frameworks as key tools to strengthen cooperation, contribute wisdom to the post-2030 sustainability agenda, and advance global governance to a new stage.

Luo Shuoquan, President of the Social Value Institute, stated that measuring and evaluating social value has become a core global corporate competency. The Institute, building on its group's achievements, has developed a social value measurement system. Since 2018, it has conducted joint research with China's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission to build a social value evaluation framework suitable for Chinese state-owned enterprises. He expressed intent to deepen cooperation further to help Chinese and Korean companies build a sustainable future.

Xu Ziqiang, Deputy Chief Representative of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade's office in South Korea, pointed out that as major trading partners, China and South Korea have clear complementary strengths in areas like AI, green industries, and new energy. The office will continue to act as a bridge, helping companies from both countries connect on projects and implement cooperation to jointly build a sustainable industrial chain ecosystem.

Ji Yong-mo, representing the Korea Asia-Pacific Economic Association, stated the association's long-term commitment to promoting non-governmental economic cooperation and exchange. Given the rapidly changing global economic environment, cooperation and mutual benefit are increasingly vital. The association will continue its bridging role to foster linked development and shared growth in technology and markets, contributing to more tangible outcomes in Sino-Korean cooperation.

Jung Ah-rim, Director of the Social Value Institute's V-Lab, detailed SK Group's Double Bottom Line management and social value measurement system. By quantifying economic, environmental, and social dimensions, the system aims to make social value measurable, manageable, and reportable. The Institute has engaged in deep cooperation with China's SASAC and Tencent to support sustainable management upgrades for companies in both countries.

Lv Jianzhong, former board member of the Global Reporting Initiative, proposed that the core of sustainable business lies in its viability, rationality, and fairness. He argued that companies should integrate ESG throughout their entire lifecycle, merging social, capital, and commercial value. He commended the eco-based sustainable model and suggested building it into a national industrial benchmark for global promotion.

SKT's ESG Promotion Office Director, Eom Jong-hwan, shared the concept of "Dual AI: Sustainable AI," which emphasizes a human-centric, ethical approach. He explained how AI can empower energy saving, disaster prevention, and care for the elderly and disabled. Initiatives like the Care Bea program, which aids those with developmental disorders, demonstrate a win-win for economic and social value, providing a model for AI+ESG integration.

From a cultural IP perspective, screenwriter Wang Xiaoqiang suggested that future corporate competition will hinge on the sustainability of IP. A sustainable IP economy, he argued, should be built on an ESG foundation, driven by technology, imbued with culture, and guided by long-termism, moving beyond short-term traffic metrics to achieve intergenerational relevance and lasting value appreciation.

Lee Seong-joon, CEO, used the metaphor of "moso bamboo growth" to describe ESG management, stressing the need for deep, long-term roots before rapid growth. He introduced Korea's high-quality agricultural innovation technologies and expressed anticipation for deeper, mutually beneficial cooperation with Chinese companies in agriculture, electric vehicles, green environmental protection, and new energy sectors.

Nie Junfeng, the forum's moderator, concluded that green transformation is an imperative of our times, technological empowerment is the key, and international cooperation is the path to mutual benefit. He noted that green transformation cannot be achieved overnight and technological empowerment requires persistent effort. He called for sustained strengthening of innovative exchanges and practical cooperation between Chinese and Korean enterprises in sustainable practices to turn green development concepts into concrete projects and visions into reality.

Participants unanimously agreed that the forum established a high-level platform for dialogue and practical cooperation. It has injected new momentum into promoting green transformation, technological innovation, and cultural exchange between the two nations. Moving forward, all parties will use this meeting as a new starting point to deepen exchanges, expand projects, and jointly write a new chapter for global sustainable development and mutually beneficial Sino-Korean cooperation.