Korean slang profile
소방수
sobangsu
Person called in to resolve problems
A metaphor for a person dealing with or wrapping up a problem after it occurs.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Dec 28, 2001
- 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
팀장은 급한 문제를 해결하는 소방수 역할을 맡았다.
The team leader took on the 소방수 role of solving urgent problems.
02Documented history
- 2001The 국립국어연구원’s 『2001년 신어』 lists the spelling and meaning of “소방수”.[1]
03Origin & word formation
The 국립국어연구원’s 『2001년 신어』 includes the spelling and meaning of “소방수”. This collection also includes previously used words absent from dictionaries. The first user and time have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The definitions in the body of the 2001 collection were compared. The collection also includes previously used words absent from dictionaries. The original older articles re-quoted there were not separately opened, and neither the first use date nor the extent of spread at the time was verified.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 2001년 신어 — 신어 목록 191쪽 (국립국어연구원)Published Dec 28, 2001Original source checked Nov 15, 2026