President Lee Calls for Collaborative Efforts in Social Reform with Civil Society

President Lee Jae-myung met with key civil society leaders to discuss social reform initiatives. This meeting, held at the Blue House, reaffirms the role of civil society as a collaborative partner in reform agendas as his administration enters its second year.

During the meeting on the morning of September 4, President Lee stated, "Civil society has always played a crucial role in the history of democratization in South Korea. The contribution of civil society organizations will be significant in the social reforms we need to pursue going forward."

He added, "It seems this is the first time we are meeting since December 3, 2024. In the early days of my presidency, I was unable to hear your voices in detail due to various matters, but today I will listen attentively."

President Lee emphasized that the goals of the government and civil society are largely aligned. He remarked, "The world you wish to create and the world I want to create are not very different. While the paths and methods to reach our goals may vary slightly, I believe the differences are not significant."

He continued, "I believe your dream is a community where everyone is treated fairly and lives together. It would be great to create a country where people have hope, and a fair and transparent system operates, by developing good plans and programs together."

The meeting included representatives from 19 organizations, such as Lee Seung-hoon, co-chair of the Civil Society Organization Alliance, and Joo Se-jun, policy chair of the Korean Progressive Alliance, along with members from various groups including the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, the Economic Justice Action Alliance, and the National Farmers' Association.

This gathering aimed to strengthen communication with civil society and broadly reflect the voices of grassroots activists in government policy. Participants were primarily frontline practitioners to ensure that the voices from the field were directly heard. The meeting's main background was to maintain a communication foundation regarding social reform agendas as the administration marks its second year.

As a representative speaker, Lee Seung-hoon proposed establishing a 'National Citizen Participation Committee' as a national task to create a model for resolving social conflicts and to develop a governance system that allows citizens to participate in government affairs. He also requested that the voices from the field and local areas be adequately reflected in the policy-making process.

Joo Se-jun presented ideas on utilizing the Future Response Fund, enhancing housing welfare, solidifying integrated care, and securing 'decent jobs.' During the subsequent open discussion, issues related to human rights, the environment, agriculture and fisheries, women's rights, peace, and historical matters were addressed.

After listening to the participants' opinions, President Lee responded that he would actively consider incorporating feasible suggestions into government policy. He also emphasized his commitment to continuously listen to and communicate with diverse voices from civil society.

Meanwhile, the meeting exceeded its scheduled time, lasting approximately three and a half hours. Following the gathering, President Lee posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "I lost track of time as I listened to various comments, from the difficulties faced on the ground to proposals for social reform. I will ensure that the insights shared today are well integrated into our policies. Together with civil society, we will address these issues one by one."