Seoul
Jaemyung (James) Lee
jaemyung.lee@asiafoundation.org
Unlocking Korea’s Hidden Potential through Family Offices, Regional Development and Nature-Based Solutions
2025 started as one of the most challenging years for Korea in recent years, as it faces multiple crises including its political leadership, a major aviation accident, and an economic downturn with little prospects of improvements in the near future.
Yet, even in the midst of Korea’s current socio-economic and political winter, there are hidden sources of hope, growth and innovation that are ready to be unleashed.
Some of these hidden sources of growth include:
Family offices and other alternative sources of capital. For better or for worse, the role of government funding in fostering venture capital and impact investment ecosystems has been a distinct feature in South Korea. Despite its achievements in catalyzing important ventures and venture funds, an IFB Seoul commissioned report indicated its potential side effects, including limiting global expansion by requiring venture funds and companies to invest locally. In recent years, alternative sources of capital such as global family offices with interest in Asia have been expanding. Yet, this network is not very well known in Korea, despite its potential to fill the financing gap in Korea for global ventures.
The role of Impact Investment in Reducing Regional Inequalities. Korea’s regional disparity in economic development is a long-standing issue, with over 50% of the nation’s GDP generated in the Seoul capital area. In the meanwhile, many subregions are facing drastic population decline through urban migration and aging demographics, uneven industrial development (often single or no industries), and lacking the prestige of Seoul. What is less known is the role of private investments and impact investment in addressing regional disparities, through not only economic growth and job creation, infrastructure development, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, talent retention, but also targeting underserved communities, sustainable development, empowering marginalized groups, and long-term focus.
Nature-based Solutions to environmental, social, and economic prosperity. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) play a strategic role in climate change mitigation, such as reforestation and mangrove restoration which act as carbon sinks, capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere. Forests alone capture 10-12% of global GHG emissions. Moreover, NbS is critical to climate change adaptation, building resilience to extreme weather, for example, and key to biodiversity and ecosystem health. Investment participation in NbS is growing globally, including carbon credit projects and market-based solutions that Korean investors can participate in.
Impact for Breakfast is excited to start 2025 with "Unlocking Korea's Potential" event as part of a series on discoveirng new sources of growth. This first meeting will kick-off the programming of IFB Seoul events in 2025. The agenda of the meeting will include:
Welcome remarks - by Jinho Chung, Co-Chair, Impact for Breakfast Seoul
Opening remarks - by Kwang Kim, Co-Chair, Impact for Breakfast Seoul
Speaker #1 - Ken Hynes & Audrey Selian, Artha Networks, The Role of Family Offices and Alternative Investments
Speaker #2 - Jeongtae Kim, Merry Year Social Company, the Role of Investments in Reducing Regional Inequality
Speaker #3 - Keyvan Izadi, Artha Networks, Unlocking Growth and Impact through Nature-Based Solutions
Q&A - moderated by Jinho Chung and Kwang Kim
Closing and next steps - by Jinho Chung
We are delighted to welcome the following speakers and moderators:
Dr. Audrey Selian is the Director of Artha Impact, the impact investing arm of Rianta Capital Zurich, a single-family office. She is also the founder of Impact for Breakfast Global, starting with its largest chapter in London (now with over 1,200 members). Audrey is also the co-founder of Artha Networks, the impact advisory arm of Rianta Capital. She is based in Geneva.
Mr. Ken Hynes is the CEO of Artha Networks, the impact advisory arm of Rianta Capital. He brings over 20 years of experience in international development. He led advisory projects for both private and public sector clients across the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia on competitiveness, innovation, and access to capital.Ken is based in Boston.
Mr. Keyvan Izadi is a global expert in climate change and Natural Resource Management with extensive experience in developing participatory, integrated and sustainable solutions worldwide, including with the US government, UNDP, and Netherlands SNV. Keyvan is based in Colorado.
Mr. Jeongtae Kim is the CEO of MYSC, one of Korea’s leading impact organizations helping companies with accelerating, consulting, and impact investment. He has formerly worked for the United Nations, and authored the best selling book, “Your Story Wins.” Jeongtae is based in Seoul.
Mr. Jinho Chung is the co-founder and Chairman of IFB Seoul. He is also Chairman and CEO of The Wells Investment, one of Korea’s pioneering impact venture capital companies focusing in deep-tech, health-tech,and other sectors. Jinho has served as President and CEO of Hanwha Investment & Securities, and an independent Director at Kumho Petrochemicals. Jinho is based in Seoul.
Mr. Kwang Kim is the co-founder and co-Chair of IFB Seoul. He is the Chairman of the Board for the Human Flourishing Foundation (HFF) as part of the Economics of Mutuality Alliance and Partner at Sohnamu-Artha Ventures. Kwang is the former regional lead for International Finance Corporation in Latin America and the country representative for the Asia Foundation in Korea. He is based in Seoul.
This event is hosted by The Wells Investment and Sohnamu-Artha Ventures, in partnership with Impact for Breakfast Global.
About IFB and IFB Seoul
IFB is an informal global network of 1,700+ members from family offices, foundations, funds, venture philanthropy and intermediary organizations with a shared interest in social enterprise, entrepreneurship and impact investing. IFB members seek to learn from one another and to collaborate more effectively to increase their individual and collective impact. For more information, please see: https://impactforbreakfast.com/
About The Wells Investment.
The Wells Investment is a venture capital firm based in Seoul. It is one of Korea’s pioneers in impact investments, with a focus on deep technology, information technology, and healthcare sectors. The firm emphasizes long-term value creation with a focus on companies that can have a meaninfulipmact in society. The Wells Investment aligns with the concept of “servant leadership” by prioritizing the development of its portfolio companies and their leaders, offering mentorship, resources, and a collaborative environment that fosters growth.
About Sohnamu-Artha Ventures (SAV)
SAV is a joint-venture between Sohnamu Global - a Korea-based cross-border investment advisory firm through business transformation - and Artha Networks, the impact advisory arm of Rianta Capital. SAV seeks to scale impact globally through local solutions, community building, and customized investment and advisory services to companies and investors.