Korean Dictionary
How to say "COO" in Korean
“COO” in Korean is 최고운영책임자 (pronounced "choego unnyeong chaekimja").
최고운영책임자
choego unnyeong chaekimja
Usage & Context
The executive responsible for daily operations. COOs in Korea manage operational efficiency and processes. They work closely with the CEO on strategy.
Example Sentence
COO가 운영 효율성을 개선했습니다.
The COO improved operational efficiency.
How to use 최고운영책임자 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “COO” is 최고운영책임자, romanized as choego unnyeong chaekimja.
Usage tip
Business Korean usually needs polite or formal endings, especially in emails, meetings, and customer situations.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 최고운영책임자.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'chweh-go oon-yeong chek-im-ja' — 'chweh' glides like 'chweh' (similar to 'che' in 'chef' with a 'w' glide), 'go' rhymes with 'go,' 'oon' rhymes with 'moon,' 'yeong' ends with 'ng' like 'young,' 'chek' rhymes with 'check,' and 'im-ja' is two quick light syllables. In practice, most Koreans just say 'COO' using the English letters.
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
최고운영책임자
choe-go un-yeong chae-gim-ja
Formal written/spoken title used in official company documents, bios, and news articles
Casual (반말)
COO
ssi-o-o
Commonly spoken as the English letters, especially in startups and everyday business conversation
More Example Sentences
discussing a personnel announcement at work
이번에 새로 부임한 COO는 물류 전문가예요.
The newly appointed COO is a logistics expert.
explaining startup leadership dynamics
스타트업에서는 CEO와 COO가 거의 모든 결정을 함께 내려요.
At startups, the CEO and COO make almost every decision together.
congratulating a colleague on a promotion
COO로 승진하셨다면서요? 축하드려요!
I heard you were promoted to COO — congratulations!
Cultural Context
In Korean corporate culture, COO is still less commonly used than CEO — many traditional Korean conglomerates (재벌) favor titles like 사장 (president) or 부사장 (vice president) instead. The COO role has become more visible in the last decade thanks to Korea's booming startup scene (쿠팡, 토스, 카카오) which adopted Silicon Valley-style C-suite structures. In casual business speech, people almost always say the English letters 'C-O-O' (씨-오-오) rather than the full Korean translation, which is reserved for formal documents.
Editorial note
We review business terms like 최고운영책임자 for formality, so the example fits emails, meetings, or workplace conversations instead of casual speech.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
COO가 누구예요?
Who is the COO?
COO로 영입됐어요.
They were brought in as COO.
CEO와 COO가 회의 중입니다.
The CEO and COO are in a meeting.
Related Expressions
최고경영자
choe-go gyeong-yeong-ja
CEO (chief executive officer)
최고재무책임자
choe-go jae-mu chae-gim-ja
CFO (chief financial officer)
임원
im-won
executive / board member
운영
un-yeong
operations / management
More Business Words
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