Korean Jobs and Titles
In Korean culture, your job and workplace carry significant social weight. One of the first questions people ask when meeting someone new is about their occupation. Korean job vocabulary includes both native Korean words and Sino-Korean terms, along with a structured system of corporate titles and honorifics. This guide covers the essential profession words and the cultural context behind them.
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Common Professions — 직업 (Jigeop)
Korean job titles are gender-neutral. The same word applies regardless of the person’s gender. Many profession words are Sino-Korean, meaning they originated from Chinese characters.
Many Korean professions end in -사 (sa, meaning "person who does"): 의사 (doctor), 변호사 (lawyer), 간호사 (nurse). Others end in -원 (won, meaning "member"): 회사원 (company member = office worker). Knowing these suffixes helps decode new words.
More Professions
These include both traditional and modern professions. Some modern job titles borrow directly from English.
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Corporate Titles — 직급 (Jikgeup)
Korean corporate hierarchy is deeply embedded in the culture. Titles determine how you speak to someone and are used as forms of address. Knowing these is essential for any business interaction in Korea.
In Korean workplaces, you address colleagues by their title with -님 (nim): 과장님 (gwajangnim), 부장님 (bujangnim). Using someone’s name without a title is considered rude. Even after leaving a company, people are often still addressed by their last corporate title.
Useful Phrases About Work
Here is how to talk about your career in Korean:
- 의사예요 (uisa-yeyo) — I am a doctor
- 병원에서 일해요 (byeongwon-eseo ilhaeyo) — I work at a hospital
- 직업이 무엇이세요? (jigeob-i mwoeoseyo?) — What is your occupation?
- 이직했어요 (ijikhaesseoyo) — I changed jobs
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you ask someone their job in Korean?
The polite way is 직업이 무엇이세요? (jigeob-i mwoeoseyo?) meaning "What is your occupation?" A casual version is 무 하세요? (mwo haseyo?) or 어디서 일하세요? (eodiseo ilhaseyo?, "Where do you work?").
What is the -๋ suffix in Korean?
-님 (nim) is an honorific suffix added to titles and names to show respect. You would say 선생님 (seonsaengnim, teacher), 의사님 (uisanim, doctor), or 사장님 (sajangnim, boss/president). It is similar to "Mr./Mrs." but attached to the title rather than the name.
What are Korean corporate title levels?
Korean companies have a strict hierarchy: 사원 (sawon, staff), 대리 (daeri, assistant manager), 과장 (gwajang, manager), 차장 (chajang, deputy general manager), 부장 (bujang, general manager), 이사 (isa, director), and 사장 (sajang, president).
Do Korean job titles change for gender?
No. Korean job titles are gender-neutral. The word 의사 (uisa, doctor) applies to both men and women. Unlike European languages, Korean does not modify professions based on the gender of the person.
How do you state your profession in Korean?
Use the pattern [profession]이에요/예요: "의사예요" (uisa-yeyo, I am a doctor). For more detail: [place]에서 일해요 — "병원에서 일해요" (byeongwon-eseo ilhaeyo, I work at a hospital).