Korean slang profile

자충수펙

jachungsupek

Job-seeking qualifications or experience unrelated to the target role that may actually put one at a disadvantage.

Expanded form: 자충수 + 스펙(spec)자충수 + 스펙(spec) (a self-defeating move + qualifications)
Other spellings: —
Earliest source found: Nov 30, 2018
Documented trend period: Not verified

This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
직무와 상관없는 자격증이 자충수펙이 될 수 있다는 기사를 읽었다.
I read that an unrelated certification could become 자충수펙.

02Documented history

November 2018The National Institute of Korean Language’s 2018 new-word survey report includes a separate headword and explanation.[1]

03Origin & word formation

The National Institute of Korean Language’s 2018 new-word survey report explains this expression’s meaning and usage. Who created it and when it was first used could not be established.

Evidence for the origin explanationMedium

The report's headword, definition, and context were compared directly. Dates of older articles it cites were not copied without checking the originals. The evidence date is the publication date in the report's colophon.

04Sources

Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.

2018년 신어 조사 (국립국어원)Published Nov 30, 2018Original source checked Nov 14, 2026