President Lee Jae Myung met with leaders from five minor parties over a luncheon in an apparent bid to enhance communication with the opposition.

The minor parties represented by their leadership were Rebuilding Korea Party, Jinbo Party, Reform Party, Basic Income Party and Social Democratic Party.

Lee sought the opposition's cooperation in state affairs and recommendation on ways for improvement, saying he was all ears in paying heed to their opinions.

According to senior presidential secretary for political affairs Woo Sang-ho, the minor party leaders advised the president to grant pardons to politicians and laborers.

Lee remained mum following a remark by one of the attendants regarding the possibility of pardon for former Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk, who is serving a two-year sentence on charges of using his influence to obtain academic favors for his children and interfering with a state inspection into a corruption case as a presidential aide.

The president, however, issued an order to look into the imprisonment of laborers mentioned by minor parties.