Can South Korea Lead in Promoting Responsible, Sustainable Investing in the Asia-Pacific?

Featuring:

William Grimes
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of International Relations
Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University

Yaechan Lee
Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science
Boston University

Moderated by:

Kyle Ferrier
Fellow and Director of Academic Affairs
Korea Economic Institute of America

Interest in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing has grown over the past decade as investors increasingly look to use their funds to bring about positive societal change. Developing countries in Asia could particularly benefit from this attention as there is a huge gap between current levels of investment and the massive needs of the region, but they first need to better conform to global financial standards and ESG principles. South Korea’s own success in the ESG market as well as its significant regional presence as a major creditor and exporter make it uniquely situated to be a catalyst for impact investing in the developing economies of the Asia-Pacific.

Please join KEI for a discussion with William Grimes and Yaechan Lee on what are some of the key factors underpinning the growth of the South Korean ESG market, how Seoul’s approach could provide an alternative perspective to the ESG landscape dominated by Western institutions, and the possible challenges ahead to the country’s leadership on sustainable investing.