Korean job posting decoder
Free tool
Paste a posting from a Korean job site. We mark each hiring term and explain it in plain English.
The text stays in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or saved.
Paste a posting above, or try the sample, to see the terms explained.
Want postings in plain English?
Seoulstart Jobs lists Korea jobs with a plain-English summary of each posting, including the Korean level it asks for and the likely visa route.
Meanings are general. A posting, your contract, and the employer's own rules decide the details of a real job. For questions about your own case, call the Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) counseling center at 1350.
How to read a Korean job posting
Most Korean postings follow the same order: 담당업무 (duties), 자격요건 (requirements), 우대사항 (preferred), 근무조건 (conditions such as job type, place, hours, and pay), 복리후생 (benefits), and 전형절차 (hiring process).
Read 자격요건 first. Anything there is required. Anything under 우대사항 is a bonus, so do not skip a job because you miss a preferred item.
Then check where Korean appears. If 한국어 능통 is under 자격요건, the job needs fluent Korean. If it is under 우대사항, the employer will consider you without it.
Korean job posting glossary
The terms Korean job postings use most, grouped by where they appear in a posting.
Job type (고용형태)
- 정규직 · Permanent (regular) employee
- A job with no end date. This is the standard full-time job in Korea.
- 계약직 · Fixed-term contract
- A job with a set end date. Under the Fixed-Term Workers Act (기간제법), an employer can generally use fixed-term contracts for up to 2 years in total. After that, the worker is generally treated as having no end date, with some exceptions. Browse contract jobs
- 파견직 · Dispatched (agency) worker
- A staffing agency employs you and sends you to work at another company. Your contract is with the agency.
- 인턴 · Intern
- A short training job. Check how long it lasts and how much it pays. Browse internships
- 채용연계형 인턴 · Intern with a path to a permanent job
- The internship can turn into a permanent job if you do well. 정규직 전환 means conversion to a permanent job. Browse internships
- 아르바이트 · Part-time job
- Hourly part-time work, often in shops, cafes, and restaurants. On a student visa, you need permission from immigration before you start. Browse part-time jobs
- 프리랜서 · Freelancer (contractor)
- You work under a service contract, not an employment contract. Payments to freelancers usually have 3.3% withheld: 3% income tax plus 0.3% local income tax.
- 수습기간 · Probation period
- A trial period at the start of a job, often 3 months. If your contract is for 1 year or more, the employer may pay 90% of the minimum wage during the first 3 months of probation. This does not apply to simple manual jobs (Minimum Wage Act Article 5).
Experience and education (경력·학력)
- 신입 · Entry level (new graduate)
- For people with little or no full-time work experience.
- 경력 · Experienced hire
- Work experience is required. 경력 3년 이상 means 3 or more years of experience.
- 경력무관 · Experience not required
- Both new and experienced people can apply.
- 학력무관 · Any education level
- There is no degree requirement.
- 대졸 · Bachelor's degree
- A degree from a 4-year university (4년제). 대졸 이상 means a bachelor's degree or higher.
- 초대졸 · 2 or 3-year college degree
- A degree from a junior college (전문대학). 초대졸 이상 means this degree or higher.
- 고졸 · High school diploma
- 고졸 이상 means a high school diploma or higher.
- 석사·박사 · Master's or doctorate
- 석사 is a master's degree. 박사 is a doctorate.
- 사원·대리·과장·부장 · Job titles (ranks)
- Many Korean companies use ranks. A common order from junior to senior: 사원 (staff), 주임 (senior staff), 대리 (assistant manager), 과장 (manager), 차장 (deputy general manager), 부장 (general manager). Names and order differ by company.
Requirements and conditions (자격요건·근무조건)
- 자격요건 · Requirements
- What you must have to apply. 필수 means required.
- 우대사항 · Preferred (nice to have)
- Not required. You can still apply if you do not have these.
- 담당업무 · Main duties
- What you will do in the job.
- 근무지 · Work location
- Where you will work.
- 근무시간 · Working hours
- Your daily schedule. Ask whether the hours include a lunch break.
- 주5일 · 5-day work week
- Five working days a week, usually Monday to Friday.
- 주52시간 · 52-hour week
- At workplaces with 5 or more workers, the legal limit is 40 regular hours plus up to 12 overtime hours a week (Labor Standards Act Articles 50 and 53). If a posting mentions it, the company says it keeps to that limit.
- 교대근무 · Shift work
- Rotating shifts. 2교대 means two shifts a day, 3교대 means three.
- 재택근무 · Remote work
- Work from home, for some or all of the week. Ask how many days. Browse remote jobs
- 한국어 능통 · Korean ability
- 능통 means fluent, 가능 means you can work in Korean, and 필수 means required. Under requirements, it means the job needs Korean. Jobs where Korean is not required
- 비즈니스 회화 · Business level
- Good enough for meetings, email, and calls at work. Often said about Korean or English.
- 일상회화 · Everyday conversation level
- You can handle daily talk, but not complex work in that language.
- TOPIK · TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean)
- Korea's official Korean test, graded from level 1 to 6. TOPIK 4급 이상 means level 4 or higher. TOPIK for jobs guide
- 원어민 · Native speaker
- A native speaker of a language, often for teaching or translation jobs. 원어민 수준 means native level.
- 외국인 가능 · Foreigners can apply
- The employer accepts foreign applicants. On its own, it does not mean they will sponsor a visa. Jobs where Korean is not required
- 비자 지원 · Visa sponsorship
- The employer offers to help with a work visa. Ask which visa (for example E-7) and who pays the fees. Jobs that mention visa sponsorship
- 내국인 · Korean nationals
- 내국인 means Korean nationals. 내국인만 means only Korean nationals can apply.
- 병역필 · Military service completed
- Korean men must do military service (Military Service Act Article 3). This line is for Korean male applicants. 병역필 또는 면제 means completed or exempt.
- 운전면허 · Driver's license
- A Korean or valid international driving permit may be needed. Ask which one the employer accepts.
Pay (급여)
- 연봉 · Annual salary
- Pay for a year, usually shown before tax. 3,600만원 means ₩36,000,000. Salary to take-home pay calculator
- 월급 · Monthly pay
- Pay for a month. Check whether it is before or after tax.
- 시급 · Hourly wage
- Pay per hour. It must be at least the minimum wage. Minimum wage guide
- 급여 협의 · Negotiable
- The pay is set in talks with you.
- 회사내규에 따름 · Per company policy
- The posting does not show the pay. Ask for the number before you accept an offer.
- 면접 후 결정 · Decided after the interview
- The pay is set after the interview, based on your experience.
- 세전 · Before tax (gross)
- The amount before income tax and social insurance come out. Salary to take-home pay calculator
- 세후 · After tax (net)
- What reaches your bank account after tax and social insurance. Salary to take-home pay calculator
- 포괄임금제 · All-inclusive wage
- A fixed amount of overtime pay is built into your salary. Ask how many overtime hours it covers and how extra hours are paid.
- 연장근로수당 · Overtime pay
- At workplaces with 5 or more workers, overtime pays at least 50% extra (Labor Standards Act Article 56).
- 주휴수당 · Weekly holiday pay
- Pay for one paid day off a week. It applies when you are scheduled for 15 or more hours a week and work every scheduled day. Weekly holiday pay calculator
- 퇴직금 별도 · Severance pay on top
- The annual salary does not include severance pay. Severance is paid separately when you leave. Severance pay calculator
- 퇴직금 포함 · Severance pay included
- The annual salary figure counts severance pay as part of the total. Ask how much you will receive each month. Severance pay calculator
- 성과급 · Performance bonus (incentive)
- Extra pay based on results. It is not guaranteed.
- 상여금 · Bonus
- Extra pay on top of salary. Ask whether it is a fixed amount or depends on performance.
- 식대 · Meal allowance
- Money for meals paid with your salary. Up to ₩200,000 a month of it can be tax-free if the company does not also provide your meals.
Benefits (복리후생)
- 4대보험 · Four major social insurances
- National Pension, National Health Insurance, Employment Insurance, and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance. For foreign workers, the pension and employment insurance rules can depend on visa and nationality.
- 퇴직금 · Severance pay
- Paid when you leave after 1 year or more of continuous work, if you worked 15 or more hours a week on average. It is at least 30 days of average wages for each year worked (Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act Article 8). Severance pay calculator
- 퇴직연금 · Retirement pension plan
- The company saves your severance in a retirement pension account (such as the DB or DC type) instead of paying it all when you leave.
- 연차 · Annual paid leave
- After a year with 80% or more attendance, you get 15 days of paid leave. In your first year, you earn 1 day for each month of full attendance (Labor Standards Act Article 60). This applies at workplaces with 5 or more workers.
- 복리후생 · Benefits
- The list of extras the company offers, such as meals, insurance, and leave.
- 식사 제공 · Meals provided
- 중식 is lunch and 석식 is dinner, served or paid for by the company.
- 기숙사 · Dormitory or company housing
- Housing from the employer. Ask whether rent or utilities come out of your pay.
- 숙식 제공 · Room and board provided
- Housing and meals are included. Ask whether any cost comes out of your pay.
- 통근버스 · Commuter bus
- A company bus to and from work.
Hiring process (전형절차)
- 전형절차 · Hiring process
- The steps from application to offer.
- 서류전형 · Document screening
- The first round. The company reviews your resume and cover letter.
- 1차 면접 · Interview rounds
- 1차 is the first interview, 2차 the second. 실무면접 is with the team, 임원면접 is with executives. Korean job interview guide
- 최종합격 · Final offer
- You passed every round and get the job offer.
- 채용시 마감 · Closes when filled
- The posting can close before the deadline once someone is hired, so apply early.
- 마감일 · Application deadline
- The last day to apply.
- 상시채용 · Always hiring
- The company takes applications at any time.
- 수시채용 · Hiring as needed
- The company hires when a team needs someone, not on a fixed calendar.
- 공채 · Open recruitment round
- A set hiring season, often for new graduates at large companies, which may include written tests.
- 이력서 · Resume
- Korean resumes often include a photo and a fixed layout. Korean resume builder
- 자기소개서 · Cover letter (personal statement)
- Often answers set questions about your growth, strengths, and reasons for applying. Korean resume builder
- 경력기술서 · Career description
- A detailed write-up of past projects and duties, separate from the resume.
- 포트폴리오 · Portfolio
- Samples of your work, common for design, content, and development jobs.
- 제출서류 · Required documents
- What you must send. 자유 양식 means any format.
- 지원방법 · How to apply
- Where and how to send your application.
Frequently asked questions
What does 우대사항 mean in a Korean job posting?
우대사항 means preferred qualifications. They are a plus, not a requirement. Required items are listed under 자격요건 or marked 필수.
What is the difference between 정규직 and 계약직?
정규직 is a permanent job with no end date. 계약직 is a fixed-term contract with an end date. Under the Fixed-Term Workers Act, an employer can generally use fixed-term contracts for up to 2 years in total, with some exceptions.
What is 퇴직금 in English?
퇴직금 is severance pay. It is paid when you leave after 1 year or more of continuous work, if you worked 15 or more hours a week on average, and it is at least 30 days of average wages per year worked. 퇴직금 별도 means it is paid on top of the advertised salary.
What does 4대보험 mean?
4대보험 means the four major social insurances: National Pension, National Health Insurance, Employment Insurance, and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance. If a posting lists it, the employer says it enrolls workers in them.
What does 경력무관 mean?
경력무관 means experience does not matter. Both new graduates and experienced people can apply.
Does 외국인 가능 mean the company sponsors a visa?
No. 외국인 가능 only means foreign applicants are accepted. Look for 비자 지원 (visa support), and ask the employer which visa they can sponsor.
Is my posting sent anywhere?
No. The decoder runs in your browser. The text you paste is not uploaded or stored.