▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with civic group members at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Sept. 4, 2026. (Yonhap)

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SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung pledged to build a fair and transparent society while meeting with members of civic groups on Friday, calling on them to play a role in pursuing social reform.

The meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae invited members of civic groups working on social issues, such as human rights, the environment, agriculture, peace and history.

"I hope we can seek good ideas together and build a country where the people can nurture hope and a fair and transparent system is in place," the president said.

Lee said his administration's vision does not differ too much from those of civic groups, which, he noted, may be seeking to build a community where all people are respected fairly.

How they seek to achieve such a goal, however, may differ, said Lee.

"Civil society has always played a very important role in South Korea's democratization history," the president also said, noting that its role would be enormous in the social reform to be pursued.

The meeting was arranged to bridge gaps between government policies on those issues and the realities facing civic group activists, the presidential office said.

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