How to Address Korean Coworkers: Ssi, Nim, and Job Titles

If you just started at a Korean company in the US, or you work with Korean colleagues, you have probably heard people called Kim bujang-nim, Jimin-ssi, or just teamjang-nim, and nobody explained the rules.

The short version:

• In English, use whatever name and title each person gives you. If you are not sure, ask: “How would you like me to address you?”
• When speaking Korean, addressing a senior colleague by job title + nim, such as bujang-nim, is usually the safe choice.
• Use ssi only with people at about your level or below. Never use it with your manager.
• Never put nim after your own name.

The rest of this guide explains why, and what changes from company to company.

Why Korean offices use titles instead of names

In many Korean workplaces, a coworker’s title works like a name. Instead of “Hi, Mr. Kim,” people say the equivalent of “Hi, General Manager.” The title often signals the person’s role or seniority, and the word nim on the end adds respect.

The habit comes from a workplace culture shaped by rank and age. The Korea Herald quoted Lee Keon-beom of the group Hangeul Culture Solidarity, who tied it to Koreans’ “deep-rooted culture of seniority.” That is also why many Korean companies have tried to change it, which we cover below.

Ssi (씨): polite, but not for people above you

Ssi goes after a person’s full name or given name: Park Jimin-ssi or Jimin-ssi. It is a polite suffix commonly used between peers, but it is generally not appropriate when addressing a superior.

• Use it with: coworkers at roughly your level and people junior to you.
• Do not use it with: your manager, anyone clearly senior to you, or someone noticeably older. The Korea Herald notes that adults can use ssi but “not toward someone clearly of higher social standing.” Talk To Me In Korean gives the same warning about using it with people older than you.

One exception: in a formal announcement, names may be read out with ssi regardless of age or seniority. That does not make it a safe way to address a senior colleague directly.

Ssi is polite in the right relationship, but it can sound disrespectful when used toward someone more senior. The Korea Herald notes it was traditionally used for people without job titles, which is part of why many people now see it as less respectful than nim.

Nim (님): the respectful default

Nim is a respectful suffix. It goes in two places at work.

After a title. This is the most common use: bujang-nim (부장님), teamjang-nim (팀장님), sajang-nim (사장님). When you speak directly to a senior colleague in Korean, adding nim is the safer choice. Calling your superior just “Kim bujang” can sound disrespectful, depending on the relationship and the workplace.

After a name. Banks, government offices, and customer service lines in Korea have moved from ssi to nim after names because nim sounds more respectful, according to the Korea Herald. Many companies now do the same internally, so you may hear Jimin-nim between coworkers.

One firm rule: never use nim about yourself. Introduce yourself as “Jimin” or “Park Jimin,” not “Jimin-nim.”

The usual job titles, in order

Traditional Korean companies use a ladder of ranks. The English terms below are approximate translations, not equivalents of US job titles. For example, a gwajang may have “Manager” on their business card without supervising anyone. Each company sets its own English titles, so check the person’s actual role.

Korean	Romanized	Rough English equivalent
사원	sawon	Staff, associate
주임	juim	Senior staff (not used everywhere)
대리	daeri	Assistant manager
과장	gwajang	Manager
차장	chajang	Deputy general manager, senior manager
부장	bujang	General manager
이사	isa	Director (used at some companies)
상무	sangmu	Executive director, vice president
전무	jeonmu	Senior executive director, senior vice president
부사장	busajang	Executive vice president
사장	sajang	President

Two things often confuse newcomers.

• Rank and position are different. Teamjang (팀장) means “team leader.” It is a role, not a rank. At companies that use traditional titles, someone with the rank of chajang who leads a team may be addressed as teamjang-nim. The form of address often follows the role rather than the rank.
• Sajang-nim is also used for business owners. Sajang-nim is a polite way to address the owner of a restaurant or small shop, according to the Korea Herald. You will hear it at Korean businesses in the US too.

Many Korean companies have tried to flatten titles

Korean companies have been simplifying these ladders for more than twenty years. Results have been mixed.

• CJ Group switched to calling everyone nim in 2000. eToday describes it as the first large Korean conglomerate to do so.
• Samsung Electronics announced in 2016 that nim would be its company-wide form of address among employees, with teams free to use alternatives such as pro or English names. Team leaders and executives were exceptions at first. In 2023 the company extended the policy to executives: everyone is addressed by an English name, initials, or Korean name plus nim, and titles such as “president” or “team leader” are no longer used as forms of address, according to Asia Economy.
• Kakao is known for having employees use English names.
• Not all of these changes stuck. Asia Economy reported in 2023 that KT, POSCO, and Hanwha tried “manager”-style titles and went back to traditional ranks. At LG Uplus, which adopted nim in 2018, 79 of 206 employees (38.4%) in a voluntary 2023 lobby poll said they wanted to use nim but were not doing so yet. That was a workplace poll, not a survey of all employees.

So the rules depend on the company, sometimes on the team, and sometimes on how senior the person is.

What this looks like at a Korean company’s US office

Korean-owned factories and offices in the US, many of them in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee, mix two workplace cultures. There is no single rule, but these points are worth knowing.

• In English, follow each person’s lead. Use the name and form of address a colleague uses when introducing themselves. Some prefer a first name, and others a more formal title.
• In Korean, you may still hear titles. Korean-speaking colleagues may use titles such as bujang-nim in a US office, especially when speaking Korean with each other. Practices vary by company and team. It explains what you are hearing, but it does not mean you are expected to copy it.
• Korean names put the family name first. In “Kim Minjun,” Kim is the family name. Some people flip the order on US paperwork and some do not, so “Mr. Minjun” may be a mistake. If an email signature is unclear, ask which name to use.
• When in doubt, ask once, early. “How would you like me to address you?” is a normal and respected question. Asking is better than guessing and getting it wrong for months.

From our editor’s experience. Our editor worked at a Korean company’s US office. In that workplace, colleagues generally used first names when speaking English. When speaking Korean among themselves, Korean employees used titles such as bujang-nim, teamjang-nim, and gwajang-nim. In conversations that included American colleagues, first names were used. This reflects one workplace, and practices may differ elsewhere.

Quick reference

Situation	Safe choice
Speaking English with a Korean manager	The name and title they introduced themselves with
Speaking Korean to your manager	Title + nim (bujang-nim, teamjang-nim)
Speaking Korean to a peer you don’t know well	Name + nim (Jimin-nim), or name + ssi if your office uses it
Talking about yourself	Your name only, no ssi or nim
A Korean restaurant or shop owner	Sajang-nim

Frequently asked questions

Is it rude to call my Korean manager by their first name in English? Not if they introduced themselves that way. If they introduced themselves as “Mr. Kim,” keep using that until they say otherwise. If you are unsure, ask.

How should I address a Korean colleague in an email? In an English email, use the name and title your colleague prefers. If they sign with a first name, replying with their first name is usually fine. For a first formal email, check their signature or ask a coworker how they are normally addressed. You don’t need to add Korean honorifics to an English email unless your workplace already does.

Do I need to use Korean honorifics if I don’t speak Korean? Not necessarily. If your workplace runs in English, start with the names and titles your colleagues use. Learning what common titles mean helps you follow conversations, but don’t assume you are expected to address everyone in Korean.

Should I learn the Korean titles? You don’t have to. Recognizing common titles such as teamjang-nim and bujang-nim makes workplace conversations and org charts easier to follow.

Can I call an older coworker oppa or unnie? Don’t assume it is appropriate. These family-style words are used between people with a close, informal relationship, and some coworkers do use them with each other. They are not safe defaults at work. Use the person’s preferred name or title instead.