🎵 K-Culture B2

스펙

seupek

Spec / Qualifications / Credentials

Share on X

What it means

Borrowed from English "spec" (specification). In Korean, 스펙 refers to academic qualifications, certificates, internship experience, and other measurable credentials used on a résumé. High 스펙 is essential for job applications at major Korean companies.

Nuance & when to use

Reflects Korea's highly competitive job market culture. 스펙 쌓기 (building up your spec) is a common phrase. The term captures the pressure to accumulate credentials from university onward.

⚠ Common mistake

Thinking it means the same as English "spec" in a technical sense. In Korean, 스펙 nearly always refers to a person's qualifications and credentials.

Example sentences

스펙을 쌓기 위해 인턴십을 했어요. Seupeg-eul ssaki wihae inteonsip-eul haesseoyo. I did an internship to build up my credentials.
스펙이 좋아도 면접에서 떨어질 수 있어요. Seupegi joado myeonjeobe-seo tteoreojil su isseoyo. Even with good credentials you can fail the interview.
요즘은 스펙보다 인성이 중요하다고 해요. Yojeumeneun seupekboda inseongi jungyohadago haeyo. These days they say character matters more than credentials.

See also

취업 자기소개서
References Naver Korean Dictionary ↗ 국립국어원 표준국어대사전 ↗ Wikipedia ↗
Next lesson →

More B2 lessons

-자마자 -jamaja As soon as / The moment -(으)ㄹ수록 -(eu)lsurok The more ..., the more ... 자기계발 jagi gyebal Self-development / Self-improvement
← 소란 아우르다 →

FAQ

When is this used?

Reflects Korea's highly competitive job market culture. 스펙 쌓기 (building up your spec) is a common phrase. The term captures the pressure to accumulate credentials from university onward.

What's a common mistake?

Thinking it means the same as English "spec" in a technical sense. In Korean, 스펙 nearly always refers to a person's qualifications and credentials.

Ready to learn more Korean?

Get one free Korean lesson every day — straight to your inbox.

Get Daily Korean Free →

Free forever · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime