According to SK on June 19, the annual measurement of social value creation has nearly doubled since the first assessment in 2018, with a cumulative total of about 155 trillion won.
Social value refers to the contributions made by companies to address or alleviate social issues faced by stakeholders. SK has been pursuing a "double bottom line" (DBL) management approach that seeks both economic and social value. The company has also begun to quantify previously qualitative social value achievements in monetary terms each year.
SK's social value measurement encompasses three main areas: economic indirect contributions, which include employment, dividends, and taxes; environmental performance, reflecting the impact of eco-friendly products, services, and production processes; and social performance, which includes improvements in quality of life, labor conditions, partnerships, and community contributions.
The breakdown of contributions shows economic indirect contributions at 31.8 trillion won, environmental performance at minus 3.1 trillion won, and social performance at 3.4 trillion won. The social performance figure has continued to rise for three consecutive years since 2023, offsetting the negative environmental performance resulting from business activities.
The amount of social value created per 100 million won in sales also increased from 10.58 million won in 2023 to 14.04 million won in 2025, marking a 33% increase over the past three years.
Economic indirect contributions rose by 6.2 trillion won compared to the previous year, driven by improved performance in key subsidiaries, leading to increased employment and tax contributions.
Environmental performance was recorded at minus 3.1 trillion won, slightly worse than the previous year's minus 2.9 trillion won, due to increased greenhouse gas emissions linked to higher production in the AI and semiconductor sectors.
To mitigate the environmental impact of increased production, major subsidiaries are implementing eco-friendly process innovations, such as adopting high-efficiency equipment and expanding the use of renewable energy. This aims to curb the rising trend of greenhouse gas emissions during production.
Improvements were also noted in social performance, with an additional value of approximately 1 trillion won generated in safety, health, and cooperative efforts. This progress is attributed to the expansion of smart safety systems utilizing AI and digital technology, as well as the establishment of tailored ecosystems to enhance the technical capabilities of partner companies.
SK stated, "We aim to present the invisible social contributions of businesses in objective figures and continuously strengthen our measurement system in line with global disclosure trends."
Additionally, SK is considering establishing an open platform to measure and evaluate corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance to promote the external dissemination of its social value measurement system.
A SK representative remarked, "We have dedicated ourselves to authentic SV measurement for eight years, continuously refining our methodology. By integrating AI with our accumulated know-how, we aim to lower the barriers to measurement and contribute to objectively assessing and addressing social issues."
SK is publicly sharing its social value measurement formulas and related data, with plans to release the results and detailed information on its group website in June.
Meanwhile, Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, attended the "2026 Value and Growth Forum" held in Seoul last March, where he stated, "We have faced challenges while conducting research for the past ten years. However, I believe we must take certain risks to pursue new growth models." He added, "In the future, we can further expand social value creation by utilizing technologies like AI."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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