Korean Expressions About Work

Introduction

Work and career are a big part of daily life, and Korean has a wide range of words and expressions to describe different aspects of it. From basic concepts like “일 (work)” to workplace culture and ranks, knowing these words will help you understand conversations at the office, in part-time jobs, or even in casual chats with friends.

Below, I have organized important vocabulary into 14 categories with clear explanations and example sentences.

1) Work Basics (일의 기본 개념)

These are the most fundamental words related to work itself.

일 (work; task; matter)
오늘 일이 많아요. – I have a lot of work today.
직업 (job; profession)
그의 직업은 선생님이에요. – His job is a teacher.
근무 (duty; shift work)
저는 야간 근무를 하고 있어요. – I am working the night shift.
노동 (labor)
육체 노동은 힘들어요. – Physical labor is tough.
근로 (work; employment condition)
근로 환경이 좋아졌어요. – The working conditions improved.
업무 (task; responsibility)
새로운 업무를 맡았어요. – I took on a new task.
책임 (responsibility)
이 일은 제 책임이에요. – This work is my responsibility.
직무 (job duty/role)
제 직무는 회계 관리예요. – My role is accounting management.
본업 (main job)
그림은 취미고 본업은 의사예요. – Painting is my hobby, and my main job is a doctor.
부업 (side job)
부업으로 번역 일을 해요. – I do translation as a side job.
알바 (part-time job)
카페에서 알바해요. – I work part-time at a café.
용돈벌이 (making pocket money)
학생들이 용돈벌이로 과외를 해요. – Students tutor to earn pocket money.

2) Salary & Allowances (보수와 수당)

Words about payment, salary, and extra allowances.

월급 (monthly salary)
이번 달 월급이 들어왔어요. – My monthly salary has been deposited.
연봉 (annual salary)
제 연봉은 오천만 원이에요. – My annual salary is 50 million won.
급여 (pay; salary – formal)
급여는 매달 25일에 지급돼요. – Salary is paid on the 25th of each month.
시급 (hourly wage)
시급이 만 원이에요. – The hourly wage is 10,000 won.
일당 (daily wage)
일당이 얼마예요? – How much is the daily wage?
보너스 (bonus)
연말에 보너스를 받았어요. – I received a bonus at the end of the year.
상여금 (extra bonus)
회사에서 상여금을 줬어요. – The company gave an extra bonus.
성과급 (performance bonus)
성과급이 성과에 따라 달라요. – The performance bonus depends on results.
수당 (allowance; extra pay)
야근 수당이 나와요. – There is overtime allowance.
야근수당 (night overtime allowance)
어제 야근수당을 받았어요. – I got paid for night overtime yesterday.
주휴수당 (weekly holiday allowance)
알바생도 주휴수당을 받아요. – Part-time workers also get weekly holiday allowance.
호봉 (pay grade)
호봉이 오르면 월급도 올라요. – When your pay grade goes up, so does your salary.
세전 (before tax; gross)
세전 월급은 삼백만 원이에요. – The gross salary is 3 million won.
세후 (after tax; net)
세후 월급은 이백오십만 원이에요. – The net salary is 2.5 million won.
세금 (tax)
세금을 많이 내야 해요. – I have to pay a lot of taxes.

3) Work Hours & Styles (근무 시간과 형태)

These words describe working hours, shifts, and styles of work.

출근하다 / 퇴근하다 (to go to work / to leave work)
아침 9시에 출근해요. – I go to work at 9 a.m.
저녁 6시에 퇴근해요. – I leave work at 6 p.m.
연장근무 (overtime; extended work)
연장근무를 두 시간 했어요. – I worked two hours overtime.
야근 (night overtime)
어제 야근했어요. – I worked late last night.
철야 (working overnight)
프로젝트 때문에 철야했어요. – I worked overnight because of the project.
당직 (on duty; on-call shift)
오늘은 제가 당직이에요. – I am on duty today.
비번 (off-duty day)
내일은 비번이라 쉴 수 있어요. – Tomorrow is my off-duty day.
칼퇴 (leaving work on time)
오늘은 칼퇴했어요. – I left work on time today.
내근 (inside duty)
저는 주로 내근을 합니다. – I usually work indoors.
외근 (outside duty)
오늘은 외근이 많았어요. – I had many outside duties today.
교대 (shift work)
병원은 교대로 일해요. – Hospitals work in shifts.
2교대/3교대 (two/three-shift system)
공장은 2교대 근무를 해요. – The factory runs on a two-shift system.
근무표/근무시간표 (work schedule)
근무표를 확인해 보세요. – Check the work schedule.
재택근무 (working from home)
요즘은 재택근무를 많이 해요. – These days, many people work from home.
워라밸 (work-life balance)
워라밸이 중요한 시대예요. – It’s an era where work-life balance matters.

4) Hiring & Leaving (채용과 퇴직)

Words about entering or leaving a company, including recruitment types.

취업 (employment; getting a job)
대학 졸업 후 바로 취업했어요. – I got a job right after graduation.
취직 (getting employed)
그는 은행에 취직했어요. – He got employed at a bank.
구직 (job seeking)
구직 사이트를 자주 봐요. – I often check job-seeking websites.
구인 (recruitment; hiring search)
회사에서 구인 공고를 냈어요. – The company posted a job ad.
채용 (hiring; recruitment process)
신입 사원을 채용했어요. – They hired new employees.
공채 (open recruitment)
대기업 공채에 지원했어요. – I applied for an open recruitment at a large company.
수시채용 (rolling recruitment)
요즘은 수시채용이 많아요. – These days, rolling recruitment is common.
수습 (probation; trial period)
수습 기간은 3개월이에요. – The probation period is three months.
인턴 (internship)
여름에 인턴을 했어요. – I did an internship in the summer.
입사 (joining a company)
올해 3월에 입사했어요. – I joined the company this March.
정규직 전환 (conversion to permanent position)
인턴에서 정규직으로 전환됐어요. – I was converted from intern to permanent staff.
퇴사 (leaving a company)
저는 지난달에 퇴사했어요. – I left the company last month.
사직 (resignation – formal)
그는 사직 의사를 밝혔다. – He expressed his intention to resign.
사직서 (letter of resignation)
사직서를 제출했어요. – I submitted my resignation letter.
권고사직 (recommended resignation; layoff)
회사 사정으로 권고사직을 당했어요. – I was asked to resign due to company circumstances.
해고 (dismissal; being fired)
규칙 위반으로 해고됐어요. – I was fired for breaking the rules.
명예퇴직 (early/voluntary retirement)
명예퇴직을 신청했어요. – I applied for voluntary retirement.
계약해지 (termination of contract)
계약해지 통보를 받았어요. – I was notified of contract termination.
정년 (mandatory retirement age)
정년은 보통 60세예요. – The mandatory retirement age is usually 60.
복직 (reinstatement; returning to work)
육아휴직 후 복직했어요. – I returned to work after parental leave.
인수인계 (handover of tasks)
퇴사 전에 인수인계를 했어요. – I handed over my tasks before leaving.

5) Career & Documents (경력과 문서)

Expressions related to career experience and documents.

경력 (career; work experience)
경력이 많은 지원자예요. – He is an applicant with lots of career experience.
경험 (experience)
경험에서 배우는 게 많아요. – You learn a lot from experience.
경험자 (experienced person)
경험자가 더 잘해요. – An experienced person does it better.
근속 (years of service)
근속 10년을 축하했어요. – They celebrated 10 years of service.
이력 (record; background)
범죄 이력이 없어요. – He has no criminal record.
이력서 (résumé; CV)
이력서를 제출했어요. – I submitted my résumé.
자소서 (self-introduction letter; cover letter)
자소서를 열심히 썼어요. – I worked hard on my cover letter.
추천서 (letter of recommendation)
교수님이 추천서를 써주셨어요. – My professor wrote me a recommendation letter.
입사지원서 (job application form)
입사지원서를 작성했어요. – I filled out the job application form.
보고서 (report document)
보고서를 제출하세요. – Please submit the report.
계약서 (contract)
계약서에 서명했어요. – I signed the contract.
발령 (appointment; reassignment)
서울 지사로 발령 났어요. – I was assigned to the Seoul branch.
전근 (transfer to another branch/office)
부산으로 전근 갔어요. – I was transferred to Busan.
파견 (dispatch; secondment)
해외로 파견 나갔어요. – I was dispatched overseas.
보직 (position; duty post)
보직 변경이 있었어요. – There was a change in my position.

6) Company & Management (회사와 경영)

Terms related to company management and labor relations.

조직 (organization)
조직 개편이 있었어요. – There was a reorganization.
인력 (manpower; workforce)
인력이 부족해요. – We are short on manpower.
경영 (management)
회사 경영이 어렵습니다. – Company management is difficult.
경영진 (executives)
경영진 회의가 열렸어요. – There was a meeting of executives.
노무 (labor affairs)
노무 담당 부서가 있어요. – There is a labor affairs department.
노동조합/노조 (labor union)
노조가 파업을 시작했어요. – The labor union went on strike.
복지 (welfare)
복지 제도가 잘 되어 있어요. – The welfare system is good.
복리후생 (benefits package)
복리후생이 다양해요. – The benefits package is diverse.
사대보험 (the four major insurances)
사대보험에 가입했어요. – I enrolled in the four major insurances.
비용처리 (expense processing)
출장 비용을 처리했어요. – I processed the travel expenses.
법인카드 (corporate card)
법인카드를 사용했어요. – I used the corporate card.
성과 (performance)
성과가 좋습니다. – The performance is good.
평가 (evaluation)
평가 결과가 나왔어요. – The evaluation results came out.
인사고과 (performance review)
인사고과 점수가 중요해요. – The performance review score is important.
징계 (disciplinary action)
규칙 위반으로 징계를 받았어요. – He was disciplined for breaking the rules.
시말서 (apology letter; written explanation for misconduct)
지각이 잦아서 시말서를 제출했어요. – I submitted an apology letter because I was often late.
산재 (industrial accident)
산재 보험을 신청했어요. – I applied for industrial accident insurance.

7) Business Structures & Relations (사업 구조와 협력)

Expressions about how businesses are organized and cooperate.

외주 (outsourcing)
외주 업체에 맡겼어요. – We outsourced it to another company.
하청 (subcontracting)
이 일은 하청을 줬어요. – This work was subcontracted.
동업 (business partnership)
친구와 동업을 시작했어요. – I started a business partnership with my friend.
창업 (startup; business creation)
대학 졸업 후 창업했어요. – I started a business after graduation.
자영업 (self-employment)
그는 자영업을 하고 있어요. – He runs his own business.

8) Workplace Atmosphere (직장 분위기)

General atmosphere and morale in the workplace.

분위기 (atmosphere)
회사 분위기가 좋아요. – The company atmosphere is good.
팀워크 (teamwork)
우리 팀은 팀워크가 좋아요. – Our team has good teamwork.
사기 (morale; motivation)
사기가 떨어졌어요. – Morale has gone down.

9) Relationships & Social Life (인간관계와 사회생활)

Relationships between people in the workplace.

상사 (boss; superior)
상사가 회의에 참석했어요. – The boss attended the meeting.
부하직원 (subordinate)
부하직원이 보고를 했어요. – A subordinate made the report.
선배 (senior)
회사 선배가 도와줬어요. – A senior at work helped me.
후배 (junior)
후배에게 일을 가르쳤어요. – I taught the junior at work.
선임 (senior in role; earlier colleague)
선임이 업무를 배워줬어요. – The senior colleague taught me the work.
후임 (junior in role; later colleague)
후임이 들어왔어요. – A junior colleague joined.
사수 (mentor; trainer)
사수가 업무를 알려줬어요. – My mentor taught me the tasks.
부사수 (mentee; trainee)
부사수가 보고서를 썼어요. – The trainee wrote the report.
동기 (peer who joined together)
동기끼리 친해요. – Colleagues who joined at the same time are close.
직장동료 (coworker)
직장동료와 점심을 먹었어요. – I had lunch with a coworker.
직원 (staff; employee)
직원이 친절해요. – The staff is kind.
직장인 (office worker)
저는 직장인이에요. – I’m an office worker.
직장 (workplace; company)
직장에 다녀요. – I go to work at a company.
대인관계 (personal relationships)
대인관계가 원만해요. – He has good personal relationships.
사회생활 (social/work life)
사회생활이 쉽지 않아요. – Social life is not easy.
인맥 (personal connections; network)
인맥이 넓어요. – He has a wide network.
사내정치 (office politics)
사내정치가 심해요. – Office politics are intense.
라인 (faction; clique; group)
그는 부장 라인에 속해요. – He belongs to the manager’s clique.
아부/아첨 (flattery; brown-nosing)
아부를 잘해요. – He is good at flattering.

10) Work Activities (업무 활동)

Common activities and processes in the workplace.

회의 (meeting)
아침에 회의가 있었어요. – We had a meeting in the morning.
출장 (business trip)
이번 주에 부산으로 출장을 가요. – I’m going on a business trip to Busan this week.
보고 (reporting)
팀장님께 보고했어요. – I reported to the team leader.
대타 (substitute; filling in)
친구 대신 대타로 일했어요. – I filled in for a friend at work.
업무분장 (work assignment; division of duties)
업무분장을 새로 했어요. – We rearranged the work assignments.
보고체계 (reporting system)
보고체계가 명확해요. – The reporting system is clear.
연수 (training; company workshop)
신입사원 연수를 받았어요. – I attended training for new employees.

11) Leave & Attendance (휴가와 근태)

Words about leave, absence, and attendance.

휴가 (vacation)
휴가를 다녀왔어요. – I went on vacation.
연차 (annual leave)
연차를 하루 썼어요. – I took a day of annual leave.
반차 (half-day leave)
오후 반차를 냈어요. – I took a half-day off in the afternoon.
연휴 (long holidays)
추석 연휴에 고향에 갔어요. – I went to my hometown during the Chuseok holidays.
휴직 (leave of absence)
병으로 휴직했어요. – I took a leave of absence due to illness.
무급휴가 (unpaid leave)
무급휴가를 사용했어요. – I took unpaid leave.
유급휴가 (paid leave)
유급휴가가 주어졌어요. – I was given paid leave.
출산휴가 (maternity leave)
출산휴가를 신청했어요. – I applied for maternity leave.
육아휴가 (parental leave)
육아휴가를 다녀왔어요. – I returned from parental leave.
쉬는 날 (day off)
내일은 쉬는 날이에요. – Tomorrow is my day off.
공휴일 (public holiday)
이번 주는 공휴일이 있어요. – There is a public holiday this week.
휴식 (rest; break)
잠깐 휴식 시간을 가졌어요. – We took a short break.
병가 (sick leave)
병가를 이틀 냈어요. – I took two days of sick leave.
병결 (absence due to illness)
그는 병결했어요. – He was absent due to illness.
지각 (tardiness)
지각하지 마세요. – Don’t be late.
근태 (attendance record)
근태 관리를 철저히 해요. – Attendance is strictly managed.
사유서 (written explanation)
지각 사유서를 제출했어요. – I submitted a written explanation for being late.
휴게 (rest period)
휴게 시간이 주어졌어요. – A rest period was given.

12) Employment Types (고용 형태)

Words about types of employment.

정규직 (permanent employee)
정규직으로 일해요. – I work as a permanent employee.
비정규직 (non-regular employee)
비정규직으로 고용됐어요. – I was hired as a temporary worker.
계약직 (contract worker)
계약직으로 일하고 있어요. – I’m working on a contract basis.
프리랜서 (freelancer)
저는 프리랜서로 일해요. – I work as a freelancer.
전문직 (professional occupation)
의사는 전문직이에요. – Doctors are professionals.
고용 (employment)
고용 기회가 늘었어요. – Employment opportunities increased.
고용주 (employer)
고용주가 친절해요. – The employer is kind.
피고용인 (employee; hired worker)
피고용인의 권리를 보장해야 해요. – The rights of employees must be protected.
근로자 (worker; employee)
근로자의 안전이 중요해요. – Workers’ safety is important.
지원자 (applicant)
지원자가 많았어요. – There were many applicants.

13) Corporate Ranks (직급 체계)

Typical ranks in a Korean company.

사원 → 주임 → 대리 → 과장 → 차장 → 부장 → 이사 → 상무 → 전무 → 부사장 → 사장 → 부회장 → 회장

예: 그는 대리에서 과장으로 승진했어요. – He was promoted from assistant manager to manager.

14) Personal Competence & Attitudes (개인 역량과 태도)

Expressions about personal skills and attitudes in the workplace.

일머리 (work sense; knack for work)
그는 일머리가 있어요. – He has a knack for work.
눈치 (social sense; reading the room)
눈치가 빠르네요. – You are quick to pick up on things.
사회성 (sociability)
사회성이 좋아서 금방 친해져요. – He has good sociability and makes friends quickly.
처세술 (tact; social skill)
처세술이 뛰어나요. – She is skilled at handling people.

Conclusion (맺음말)

Work is not only about getting paid; it also involves relationships, atmosphere, and personal skills. Korean has very specific words for different work situations, from job types to office politics. Learning these terms will make conversations about jobs and careers much easier, whether you’re talking about your own employment, applying for a new position, or simply chatting with Korean friends about work life.