Lee said, "Civil servants are literally servants to the people. You officials have to reflect on whether you have faithfully played the servant role thus far. Servants have to wake up earlier than the masters. If they wake up later than the masters, servants can't fulfill their duties."

Government officials appeared shocked to hear of Lee's remarks on acting as servants. Many of them said they had been afraid that this moment would come.

President Lee's comments follow a statement last week by Knowledge Economy Minister Lee Youn-ho that his ministry should be "reborn as a government agency that serves the people and businesses." Minister Lee, who is in charge of the government's corporate policies, was speaking at his inauguration at the ministry.

Government officials commonly believe that they hold predominant status over businesses, and Lee's calls for a reversal of these roles have many of them perplexed.

Some officials, who have found themselves having to work weekends since President Lee's inauguration, appeared resistant to his instructions.

A bureau chief-level official at an economic ministry said, "The 'servant theory' is only applicable to an agrarian period or a period of industrial development. Now it's important to use our brains wisely. We're not living in a time when we have to solve problems by waking up early, sweeping our yard, and cutting fodder for animals."

(englishnews@chosun.com )