'The world we want to build is not so different'

President Lee Jae Myung delivers opening remarks at a meeting with civil society representatives held at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung delivers opening remarks at a meeting with civil society representatives held at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday invited representatives of civil society organizations from across various sectors to Cheong Wa Dae for the first time since taking office, calling on them to play a leading role in the sweeping social reforms he plans to pursue as a key national agenda.

Speaking at the morning gathering, Lee said it was likely the first time he had met with civil society leaders and activists since December 2024, when emergency martial law was declared, and expressed appreciation for their efforts. "You have all worked so hard," he said.

He added that the busy early days of his administration had made it difficult to listen carefully to their concerns. "Today, I intend to listen closely to what you have to say," he said.

Lee acknowledged the historical weight civil society has carried in advancing democracy in South Korea and expressed his commitment to working alongside it. "Civil society has always played a vital role in the history of Korea's democratization," he said. "Its role in the major social reforms we must carry out going forward will be just as significant."

He went on to say that his governing vision and the values of civil society were fundamentally aligned. "The world you want and the world I want to build are probably not so different," Lee said. "I believe your dream is to build a community and a world where everyone is treated fairly and lives together. The paths and methods to reach that goal may differ slightly, but those differences will not be great."

He urged participants to work together toward shared goals. "I hope we can build good solutions together — a country where people have hope and progress, and a world where a fair and transparent system actually works," he said.

The meeting was attended by a broad range of civil society figures, including Lee Seung-hoon, chair of the Civil Society Organizations Solidarity Council, and Ju Je-jun, policy committee chair of the Korea Progressive Solidarity. Also present were representatives from the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, the Korean Peasants League, the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities, the National Federation of Democratic Street Vendors, the Self-Reliant Reunification and Peace Solidarity, the National Women's Solidarity and the Korean Women's Associations United.


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