Korean slang profile

사수

sasu

A directly senior coworker

A senior colleague who works directly with someone at their workplace.

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

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
내 사수는 일을 꼼꼼하게 가르쳐 줘.
My senior coworker takes care to teach me the work thoroughly.
Quoted from a source
의류업체에 재직 중인 A(32)씨는 자신을 괴롭히던 '사수'(직속 선배)와 함께 일하던 때를 생각하면 아직도 악몽을 꾼다.[1]
Mr. A (32), who works at a clothing company, still has nightmares when he thinks about the time he worked with '사수' (his immediate senior) who harassed him.
English translation by Julimmal.

July 2019Mr. A (32), who works at a clothing company, still has nightmares when he thinks about the time he worked with '사수' (his immediate senior) who harassed him.[1]
February 2025Newsis: “Mr. C suggested that it is necessary to consider providing incentives to ‘사수’ civil servants who teach new civil servants.”[2]

Where the expression originated has not been verified. The 2019 source from Newspim only explains the meaning.

Evidence for the origin explanationLow

The meaning is supported, but the sources do not explain how the expression was formed.

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