Between Social Expectations and Social Performances:
Challenges for the SDG Partnership in Korea
Hyung-Kun Park1 ․ Ji-hyun Kim2 ․ Jooyoung Kwak3
Received: 1 April 2023 / Accepted: 6 May 2023 /
Published online: 1 June 2023 Ⓒ Korean Social Science Research Council 2023
Abstract In 2005, the United Nations manifested “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” to
prepare for the future. Suggesting a long-term vision and detailed indicators for goal achievement,
SDGs have tackled global problems of income disparity, energy depletion, environmental pollution,
unemployment, and gender inequality. They are now an official, international framework to
guide sustainability-related activities. Because of the importance of coordination and harmonization
in the SDG process, SDG Goal 17 specifically emphasizes partnership. Relevant literature posits
that institutionalization of a new framework in the practical field requires acceptance from the
stakeholders, which is a pre-condition for partnership formation. We group the SDG stakeholders
into the private sector (firm), public sector (government), civil society organizations (CSOs),
and international organizations. Based on the stakeholder interviews, we identify the current
challenges in diffusing SDGs into Korean society. Overall, each type of stakeholder has different
expectations from other stakeholder groups, which makes it hard to reach partnerships. This
paper argues that all SDG stakeholders should not only understand the needs of other stakeholder
groups but also pursue internal restructuring for a sustainable partnership.
Keywords Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs)․United Nations, partnership (Goal 17)․
stakeholders․Korea