From youth self-reliance to the AI divide...Community Chest of Korea identifies 104 early warning signs of social problems

[Financial News] The Community Chest of Korea has identified 104 early warning signs of social problems and eight key agendas based on input from 100 frontline experts. It highlighted welfare blind spots ranging from young people struggling to become self-reliant as they enter society to groups at high risk of being excluded from educational and employment opportunities as artificial intelligence (AI) spreads.
According to the Community Chest of Korea on the 31st, the findings were released at the 2026 Community Chest of Korea Corporate Social Contribution Conference, held on the 29th at the Glad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul. About 250 people attended, including corporate social contribution practitioners, frontline experts and representatives of nonprofit organizations.
The study is part of the SIGNAL project, which identifies welfare blind spots and connects them with corporate social contribution programs. About 550,000 characters of responses gathered across five areas—future generations; digital and AI; population and regions; climate and safety; and mental health—were analyzed and reviewed by frontline experts.
The eight key agendas included young people struggling with self-reliance and settling in as they enter society; children and adolescents facing overlapping shortages in care, education and relationships; and people experiencing social disconnection and mental health problems. The agendas also addressed older people whose social roles and relationships are diminishing and who have difficulty getting the care they need.
The agendas also covered regions whose foundations for daily life are being weakened by climate and disaster risks and population decline, as well as groups at high risk of being excluded from access to technology and from educational and employment opportunities as AI spreads.
The “2026 AI Skills Training Program for Youth Preparing for Independent Living,” listed on the independent-living support platform “Independent Living Information ON,” was designed for young people in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province. It is structured to build digital skills and a foundation for entering society through hands-on AI training and web and app development projects.
The agendas also included burnout among frontline workers, who lack staff and resources relative to demand, as well as structural problems in the service delivery system: the recipients of support or lines of responsibility may be unclear, or resources may be concentrated in one area, leaving people without the support they need.
Representatives of LG, the Korea Environmental Foundation, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Hanwha, KakaoBank and POSCO Holdings, among others, discussed at a panel talk how to connect frontline problems with social contribution programs.
Shin Hyun-sang, a Hanyang University professor and research partner on the project, gave a presentation titled “How to Use SIGNAL for Corporate Practitioners.” Professor Shin said, “Companies can use it to identify new social contribution agendas and refine the target groups and support methods of existing programs, helping bring about the changes needed on the ground.”
Jin Seok-beom, secretary-general of the Community Chest of Korea, said, “This SIGNAL initiative is significant as the Community Chest of Korea’s first effort to bring together voices from the field and comprehensively organize the issues our society should pay attention to.” He said the organization would continue to serve as a social contribution platform, ensuring corporate resources reach the places that need them.
[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter