This study looked at the current status of Korean social enterprises and their problems and suggested
governmental policy implications for enhancing the competitiveness of social enterprises. As the study
methods, the current status of social enterprises was analyzed and performance of social enterprise support
was examined and then policy implications for promoting the social enterprises were analyzed. First, the
direction of governmental policy regarding the promotion of social enterprise should be converted into the
ecosystem oriented or each business oriented getting out of the labor cost oriented and should emphasize on
the follow up management and evaluation. Second, the certification program that bothers the expansion of
social enterprises should be changed. That is, the government should change a policy into the direction that
leaves the activities of social enterprise to the market function while easing the criteria of certification. Only
by this, can more activities and job creation effects of social enterprise be expected. Third, the directions of
governmental policies related to social entrepreneur fostering should be corrected and complemented.
To resolve this so called problem, a standard model including the policy of standardized programs and
contents for each business, type and local autonomous entity needs to be suggested. The educational
programs and contents composed of such a standard model can enhance the professionalism and
efficiency in social entrepreneur fostering. Finally the concept of social economy is needed to be more
wide spread. That is, as a base of social enterprise activity, systematic and professional educational
programs through university or graduate school are required. In Korea, for social enterprise to develop,
excessive governmental involvement in the market should decrease. That is, the certification
requirement for social enterprise should be eased much and a direct support for social enterprise
should be converted into an indirect support method, which enables more activities of social enterprise
and higher job creation effect. In the long term, social entrepreneurs should be fostered to enhance
professionalism and efficiency so that social enterprise can have competitiveness.