About the Korean Language
Interesting facts about the Korean language
Where is Korean spoken?
The geography of Korean is distinguished by unique compactness despite a huge number of speakers. Korean is spoken by about 82 million people worldwide, ranking it 13th among the most widespread languages on the planet. At the same time, the overwhelming majority of speakers are concentrated on the Korean Peninsula — in South and North Korea.
South Korea has about 51 million Korean speakers, North Korea — approximately 26 million. But the influence of Korean has long extended beyond the peninsula. Significant Korean communities exist in China (about 2 million, predominantly in Yanbian Province), the USA (about 2 million), Japan (700 thousand), Russia (especially in the Far East), Canada, Australia and Southeast Asian countries.
Worthy of special mention is the phenomenon of the global spread of Korean culture — the so-called 'Korean Wave' or Hallyu. Thanks to K-pop, Korean dramas and Korean cinema, millions of people around the world have started learning Korean. In the 2020s, interest in learning Korean has grown so much that it has become one of the fastest-growing foreign languages in the world.
Language family and historical roots
Korean occupies a special place in linguistics — its origin is still a subject of scientific debate. Most scholars classify Korean as an isolated language or conditionally include it in the Altaic language family along with Turkic, Mongolic and Tungusic-Manchu languages. Some researchers see connections with Japanese, although this theory remains controversial.
A key moment in the history of Korean was the creation in 1443 of a unique writing system — Hangul. Before this, Koreans used Chinese characters (Hanja), which were poorly suited for recording Korean speech. King Sejong the Great and a group of scholars developed Hangul — a phonetic script that UNESCO recognized as one of the most logical and scientifically grounded writing systems in the world. Hangul consists of 24 letters and is so simple to learn that there are virtually no illiterate people in Korea.
After the division of Korea in 1945, the languages of North and South began to diverge. In South Korea, English words are actively borrowed, some use of Hanja is maintained, the language develops under the influence of democratic society. In North Korea, a policy of linguistic purification from borrowings was carried out, creating its own terminology. Despite the differences, speakers from both Koreas still understand each other.
Why learn Korean?
Korean today is one of the most promising languages to learn. South Korea is one of the world's largest economies, home to global corporations Samsung, Hyundai, LG and Kia. Knowledge of Korean opens doors to high-tech industries: electronics, automotive, robotics, IT sector. Korea actively attracts foreign specialists and offers generous scholarships for study at Korean universities.
The cultural component is no less important. Korean is an opportunity to understand K-pop song lyrics (BTS, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids) without translation, to watch Korean dramas without subtitles. It's access to a richest cuisine that has long gone beyond kimchi and become a global trend. It's an opportunity to read contemporary Korean literature, which is experiencing a true renaissance.
From a practical point of view, Korean has a unique advantage: its writing system can be mastered literally in a few days. Hangul is so logical that after a short study you will already be able to read Korean texts, even without understanding the meaning. This creates powerful motivation for further study. Moreover, having learned Korean, you will get an excellent foundation for understanding the structure of Japanese.
The Korean language is a key to a country with expressive natural beauty, where mountain ranges cover most of the territory and the coastlines are washed by three seas. When you begin learning Korean, you open the door to the picturesque landscapes of Korea. Imagine: the volcanic island of Jeju with its lava caves and waterfalls, covered with mandarin orchards; Seoraksan National Park with its granite peaks and autumn riot of colors; the bamboo groves of Damyang; cherry blossoms in spring, enveloping mountain slopes in a pink haze. Korea is a peninsula where every season paints its own picture: spring colors the hills with cherry blossoms and rapeseed, summer brings green mountain trails and sea beaches, autumn turns the mountains into a canvas of red and gold, and winter covers the peaks with a snow-white blanket.