Blog
Notes on learning Korean.
Longer pieces on the questions that come up over and over: how long it takes, what order to learn things in, and which advice is worth ignoring. Written by the person who built the site.
Halloween in Korea: costumes, crowds and what changed in 2022
Halloween in Korea is a costume night out, not an evening for children, and since the Itaewon crush of 2022 it is quieter and closely managed.
HolidaysChristmas in Korea: a holiday for couples, cake and lights
Christmas Day is a public holiday in South Korea, but it is not a family day. It belongs to couples and friends, and the night that matters is the 24th.
Getting startedHow long does it take to learn Korean? An honest answer
The 2,200-hour figure is real, but it measures something far beyond what most learners want. Here is what each milestone costs at 20 to 30 minutes a day.
HangulCan you really learn Hangul in a day?
You can learn the letters in a day. You cannot learn to read in a day. Here is what sits between the two, including the sound changes that catch almost every beginner.
Getting startedIs Korean hard for English speakers?
Some parts of Korean are easier than French. Others have no parallel in any European language. Here is which is which, and where the time really goes.
Occasional pieces on learning Korean, written when there is something worth saying.