The introduction part of the paper provides an overview of factors that will be of focus in the rest of the paper. The introduction categorically points out that the focus would be on social enterprises within the greater social economy and how the SEs can be effective tools of bringing about sustainable development. The literature review explores how the subjects of sustainable development, sustainability, urban regeneration, social economy and social enterprises has been explored by other scholars. This section is critical because it provides in-depth information of why social enterprising is of particular interest in the South Korean context. In addition, by examining the research that has so far been done with regard to the subject of study, it becomes possible to get a widened perception that is useful in guiding the research and later on the readers of the paper. The part on theoretical considerations essentially helps in understanding the interrelationship of the various terminologies that are focused on in the paper by placing them in the wider context of a social economy.