Korean employment contract words are useful when you receive a work document, start a new job, or review conditions with HR. You do not need to understand every long sentence first. Start by finding the people, the document type, work time, pay, contract period, copy, and signature words.
Briefing Summary
| Situation | Reading a Korean employment contract before signing |
|---|---|
| Practice focus | Contract, document, employer, employee, work hours, pay, period, copy, and signature words |
| Useful for | foreign workers, factory workers, service workers, and anyone starting work in Korea |
| Study time | 8-12 minutes |
Slide 1. The Situation
Imagine an HR staff member gives you a document and asks you to review it. The page may contain many sentences, but your first job is simpler: identify the document and the main fields. Look for 근로 계약, 계약, and 문서. These words tell you that the page is a contract or work document.
This post is language recognition, not legal advice. For a real dispute or legal question, contact a qualified local help center, labor office, or professional. The goal here is to help you notice the words that deserve a question before you sign.
Slide 2. Key Employment Contract Words
| Korean | Romanization | English | Level | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 근로 계약 | geunno gyeyak | employment contract | BS4 | Name of the work contract. |
| 계약 | gyeyak | contract | BS1 | General contract word. |
| 문서 | munseo | document | BS1 | Document or file. |
| 사본 | sabon | copy | BS3 | Copy to keep for records. |
| 고용주 | goyongju | employer | BS3 | Employer or hiring side. |
| 직원 | jigwon | employee; staff | BS1 | Employee or staff member. |
| 계약직 | gyeyakjik | contract employee; fixed-term employee | BS4 | Employment type. |
| 근무 시간 | geunmu sigan | working hours | BS2 | Hours you work. |
| 근로 조건 | geunno jogeon | working conditions; employment conditions | BS6 | Overall work conditions. |
| 계약 조건 | gyeyak jogeon | contract terms | BS5 | Terms in the contract. |
| 계약 기간 | gyeyak gigan | contract period | BS5 | How long the contract runs. |
| 월급 | wolgeup | monthly salary | BS1 | Monthly pay. |
| 시급 | sigeup | hourly wage | BS2 | Hourly pay. |
| 급여 | geubyeo | salary; pay | BS2 | Pay or wage section. |
| 서명 | seomyeong | signature | BS2 | Signature area. |
Slide 3. Read an Employment Contract in 3 Steps
- Step 1: Find the people and document. Look for 고용주, 직원, 문서, and 근로 계약. Confirm who the contract is between.
- Step 2: Check time and period. Look for 근무 시간, 계약 기간, and 근로 조건. These words tell you when you work and how long the contract runs.
- Step 3: Check pay and signing words. Look for 월급, 시급, 급여, 서명, and 사본. Ask before signing if these parts are unclear.
Slide 4. Common Contract Mistakes
The first mistake is confusing pay words. 월급 is monthly salary, while 시급 is hourly wage. 급여 is a broader salary or pay word. Do not treat these as the same pay structure.
The second mistake is mixing up period and conditions. 계약 기간 is the contract period. 계약 조건 and 근로 조건 point to terms or working conditions. If the contract period or work conditions do not match what you expected, ask a clear question.
The third mistake is signing before you understand record words. 서명 means signature. 사본 means copy. In real life, it is often important to know whether you have signed and whether you have a copy for your records.
Slide 5. Practice With BSKorean
Practice this topic in BSKorean: Read the BSKorean app guide, then open the practice app. Use this article set to practice Korean word, romanization, English meaning, and the contract-reading situation together.
A useful habit is to say the group first: people, document, time, terms, pay, or signature. Then say the Korean word. This makes the page easier to scan when you are nervous or busy.
Mini Review Table
| If you see… | Think… |
|---|---|
| 근로 계약 | This tells you the document is an employment contract. |
| 고용주 | This is the employer side of the contract. |
| 근무 시간 | This is where working hours matter. |
| 계약 기간 | This tells you the contract period. |
| 급여 | This points to pay or salary. |
| 서명 | This is the signature word. |
Final Takeaway
You do not need to understand every contract sentence to begin reading safely. First find the employment contract word, then the people, time, pay, period, copy, and signature words. These Korean employment contract words help you ask better questions before you sign.