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Name change brings recognition as government-employed janitors receive new Korean titles

Published: 05 Aug. 2025, 11:26 Updated: 05 Aug. 2025, 17:58

SHIN MIN-HEE
[email protected]

The building of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in Sejong [MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR AND SAFETY]

Government-employed janitors working at government complex buildings now have an official Korean term of address, helping remedy the discomfort of some workers who were referred to by other titles, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Tuesday.

The decision to call the janitors "environmental operations assistants,” or hwangyeongsilmuwon in Korean, was made last month during a meeting by the Interior Ministry, which manages the government buildings, and the union representing public servants.

Until recently, there was no official term of address for these janitorial staff. Union members pointed out that they would be referred to as jeogiyo (hey there), seonsaengnim (teacher), ajeossi (middle-aged man) or ajumma (middle-aged woman). Some workers had reported discomfort as the latter two terms tend to carry condescending undertones in Korea.

There are currently some 3,870 public service workers employed across government-affiliated complexes including in Seoul, Sejong, Gwacheon and Daejeon, who are responsible for facility maintenance, cleaning, security, reception and administrative support.

Among them, some 1,300 are janitorial staff whose duties are cleaning restrooms, offices, hallways and staircases.

“A lot of the cleaning staff at government buildings are public servants but were called ‘ajumma’ or ‘ajeossi’ because there wasn’t a clear title for them, making some workers uncomfortable,” an Interior Ministry official said.

“We are now broadcasting announcements at each government complex to inform people to use the new title, ‘environmental operations assistant.’”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]