기업의 사회적 책임(CSR)과 기업지배구조 관계의 회사법적 검토

A Study on the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance from the Corporate law aspect Yoo-Min Lee Ever since corporations have been performing the role of major players in the economy by not only producing products and services but also creating job opportunities and influencing profoundly in a society, corporations today are expected to be socially responsible as a part of the community. In this aspect, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been worldly noticed as a sustainable action that needs to be carried out by a company which will positively affect every aspect including the interest of multiple stake-holders, community and environment. As a new government has been established recently in Korea, CSR is one of the top concerns of our nation therefore, it is significant to bring change to the understanding of CSR and its importance in a country. CSR might seem as one-way, voluntary activity of a firm to the society and its excessive performance would infringe the main aim of a corporation which is ‘to make profit.’ However, recent studies found that corporations which are active in CSR have not only gained credibility from a society but also power to develop consistently. In order to understand the importance of CSR and make it settled in the business environment, it is necessary to observe the problems that arise within a company in the process of performing CSR activities. In reality, there are many obstacles within the system of a company to carry out socially responsible activities. From this perspective, Corporate Governance is a key factor which could facilitate companies to perform better CSR activities and for its sustainable development. Depending on the level of corporate governance, the system by which companies are directed and controlled, it could provide a company the solid foundations to conduct CSR activities and to enhance its future growth. Therefore, in this paper I argue that the first step to bring sustainable development of corporations in Korea is to understand the. relationship between CSR and Corporate Governance. Moreover, it is necessary to find ways to improve corporate governance structure to vitalize CSR activities and for the development of our nation’s economy.