President Moon Jae-in pointed out Thursday that South Korea's yearslong campaign to root out corruption has won a positive assessment from the international community, citing an annual survey of Transparency International.

In its updated report on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), the country ranked 33rd, up from 39th last year.

"The international community's assessment of the transparency and integrity of our society has greatly improved," Moon wrote on his social messaging accounts.

It reflects a positive view on "efforts by the government and the people, including those on liquidating deep-rooted social evils and reforming powerful institutions," he added.

He noted that South Korea ranked 51st in 2017, when he was inaugurated.

"It's also an index showing that our society is developing in the right direction," the president wrote. He added, however, there's still much to be done, as South Korea aims to join the top 30 in the CPI index before the end of his tenure in May 2022. (Yonhap)