# Sa (rank)

Sa (Japanese: 佐; Korean: 좌; Hanja: 佐; RR: jwa; Vietnamese: tá) is the rank held by field-grade officers in the militaries of Japan, Vietnam, and North Korea.

## Japan

The only difference between rank names are the use of morphemes, which are riku (Japanese: 陸, lit. 'land'), kai (Japanese: 海, lit. 'sea') or kū (Japanese: 空, lit. 'air').
| Rank group | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers |
| | 1等佐 (Ittō sa) | 2等佐 (Nitō sa) | 3等佐 (Santō sa) |
| Literal translation | Aide first class | Aide second class | Aide third class |
| Japanese Ground Forces | | | |
| U.S. equivalent | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| Japanese Navy | | | |
| U.S. equivalent | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander |
| Japanese Air Force | | | |
| U.S. equivalent | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| | 1等佐 (Ittō sa) | 2等佐 (Nitō sa) | 3等佐 (Santō sa) |
| Rank group | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers |

## North Korea

| Rank group | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers |
| Hangul | 대좌 | 상좌 | 중좌 | 소좌 |
| Hanja | 大佐 | 上佐 | 中佐 | 少佐 |
| Romanization | Daechwa | Sangjwa | Chungjwa | Sojwa |
| Literal translation | Great assistant | Upper assistant | Middle assistant | Small assistant |
| Korean People's Army Ground Force | | | | |
| U.S. equivalent | None | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| Korean People's Navy | | | | |
| U.S. equivalent | None | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander |
| Korean People's Army Air Force | | | | |
| U.S. equivalent | None | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| | 대좌 Daechwa | 상좌 Sangjwa | 중좌 Chungjwa | 소좌 Sojwa |
| Rank group | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers |

## Vietnam

| Rank group | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers |
| Vietnamese | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá |
| Chữ Hán | 大佐 | 上佐 | 中佐 | 少佐 |
| Literal translation | Grand assistant | Upper assistant | Middle assistant | Lower assistant |
| Vietnam People's Ground Force | | | | |
| Translation | Senior colonel | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| Vietnam People's Navy | | | | |
| Translation | Upper captain | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander |
| Vietnam People's Air Force | | | | |
| Translation | Senior colonel | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| Vietnamese | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá |
| Rank group | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers |

### South Vietnamese variant

| Rank group | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers |
| Vietnamese | Đại tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá |
| Chữ Hán | 大佐 | 中佐 | 少佐 |
| Literal translation | Great assistant | Middle assistant | Lower assistant |
| Army of the Republic of Vietnam (1967-1975) | | | |
| Translation | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| Republic of Vietnam Navy (1967-1975) | | | |
| Translation | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander |
| Republic of Vietnam Marine Division (1967-1975) | | | |
| Translation | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| Republic of Vietnam Air Force (1967-1975) | | | |
| Translation | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| Vietnamese | Đại tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá |
| Rank group | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers |