首尔：“问题”公务员得“下乡锻炼”

Scores of unsatisfactory Seoul city government employees will be ordered to meditate and to work in farms or factories to improve their attitude, officials said Thursday.

The South Korean capital has this year singled out 88 employees, 0.9 percent of its 9,844-strong work force, who are allegedly incompetent, lazy or truculent towards residents.

Their three-week “soul-searching” reindoctrination program will include a trek across the country and meditation aimed at “changing their attitude and enhancing patience,” the city said.

Lessons in information technology, foreign languages and 50 hours of volunteer work at farms and plants will also be included, it said.

Mayor Oh Se-Hoon launched the campaign last year, purportedly to improve efficiency.

The first-year program ordered 102 employees to do menial jobs such as sweeping streets or picking up litter. Some 44 of these workers eventually resigned or were sacked.

But a new program was launched after critics said menial work humiliated employees without improving their attitude.

The JoongAng Daily said this year’s program includes six senior officials.(SD-Agencies)

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meditate v. 想, (尤指宗教上的)沉思, 冥想

single out v. 挑选

truculent adj. 凶狠的；野蛮的

reindoctrination n. 向...再灌输, 再予以思想训练

menial adj. 仆人的