Even a single small bean can carry a wish to brighten a young person's day. On Thursday, July 2, 2026, a government-led event marking Korea's 2026 Cooperatives Day was held at COEX in Magok, Seoul. The event was held in connection with the spirit of the International Day of Cooperatives, established by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and observed on the first Saturday of July each year to raise awareness of cooperative values and promote an economy built on solidarity and shared prosperity. In this spirit, Korea's Cooperatives Day event brought together a commemorative ceremony and a series of academic forums to reflect on the changes cooperatives have created and the possibilities they continue to open.

To showcase the diverse possibilities of the cooperative model, more than 20 booths were set up at the venue. University students from across Korea, including members of the University Cooperative Student Committee, took part and brought youthful energy to the event. The University Cooperatives ran a promotional booth centered on the Student Committee, sharing the value of cooperatives through students' own words and participation. The Student Committee is a student-led group formed to promote student member engagement and participation in university cooperatives. Located along a well-traveled path through the venue, the booth naturally drew a steady stream of visitors. Student Committee members personally introduced the meaning and work of university cooperatives, turning the booth into a lively space for conversation and connection. The value of cooperation came through most clearly not in explanations alone, but when students spoke from their own experience and in their own voice.

Alongside the values of university cooperatives, the booth also introduced the 3 Beans Project. The name reflects the idea that even a few small beans, when shared with care, can grow into something greater and become a source of support for students. A survey of university students' living conditions found that food expenses are one of the areas students most often try to reduce, with a significant number regularly skipping meals. In response, university cooperatives have run the 3 Beans Project since 2018, using outside donations to send groceries to students on a regular basis. The project is rooted in the seventh cooperative principle, Concern for Community. To date, the 3 Beans Project has reached 33 universities, delivered more than 5,700 care packages, and supported over 1,300 students. At this year's Cooperatives Day event, participants who heard directly from students about the project responded with genuine support. Around fifty people made one-time, on-the-spot donations, extending a warm gesture of encouragement to university students across the country.

Cooperatives Day was both a moment to look back on the road cooperatives have traveled and a time to consider the generation that will carry them forward. The sight of Student Committee members running their own booth and speaking directly with visitors offered a meaningful glimpse of the possibilities young people are creating within the cooperative movement. May the Student Committee continue to grow as a bridge between young people and the cooperative movement — and may the spirit of 3 Beans, this small gesture of care and solidarity, keep reaching students across the country for years to come.