Businesses should take a leading role in supporting sustainable development goals by providing decent jobs, investing in environmental protection and combating corruption, South Korea's top economic policymaker said Tuesday.
  

Speaking at the Korea Leaders Summit hosted by the United Nations Global Compact in Seoul, Choi Kyung-hwan called on companies to move to incorporate key social values and protect the rights of consumers and employees.
  

"Decent jobs are the best kind of welfare, with a rise in income making it possible to improve the standard of living for workers and bring about social cohesion," Choi said.
  

He said companies need to take a proactive stance on protecting the environment, instead of maintaining a passive role.
  

"Businesses must take responsibility for having created environmental problems in the first place, and should now promote clean living conditions for people," Choi stressed. "Companies must be at the forefront on investing to protect the environment."  
  

The policymaker, who doubles as deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs, also said the business community must play an active part in bringing about a clean society by supporting various anti-corruption drives.
  

"Corruption raises social transaction costs, and in the end hurts the good reputation of companies themselves and their global competitiveness."
  

Choi said that with the influence of companies growing steadily worldwide, it is imperative that they play a greater part in promoting sustainable growth.
  

The Global Compact meeting was attended by such dignitaries as U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Global Green Growth Institute chair Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. (Yonhap)