[Newsmaker] [Hello Hangeul] Yonsei vs Sogang: A closer look at decades-old rivalry in Korean language education

Among those considering coming to Korea for language study, two university-run language institutes have long been considered the best options. Associated with and located on the main campuses of Yonsei University and Sogang University, they take pride in providing the “most immersive learning experience.” Here’s a closer look at the archrival language institutes, whose competition for reputation has brought about benefits to not just learners but the field of Korean language

Feb. 12, 2023

[My Hangeul Story] Korean has given me great opportunities: K-pop fan-turned-Korean teacher

Nura Ezzatie is a social media influencer with at least 182,400 followers on TikTok. Outside the social media world, she is a secondary school teacher in her native country of Malaysia. Neither of the two would have been possible, had she not embarked on a journey to teach herself Korean more than a decade ago. In 2010, then at age 18, Ezzatie discovered the world of K-pop through Super Junior. Watching all kinds of Korean TV shows starring the idol group almost every day, she decided to learn

Feb. 12, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] What not to do to keep Korean culture, language attractive

If countries were people, Korea would be the quiet, hardworking kid who had little chance to show what an interesting person he is, until he started writing great songs and tales that made people cry, laugh and think. If he continues to excel by getting better at understanding others and making himself understood, he will gain influence, or “soft power.” A term coined by American political scientist Joseph Nye Jr., soft power is defined as the ability to affect others to get what y

Feb. 6, 2023

[Herald Interview] TTMIK CEO on upgrading online Korean learning

For English speakers, mastering Korean can sometimes feel like an impossible feat to achieve without taking classes at schools and academies -- as the language's vastly different word order and characteristically diverse colloquial language render it as one of the hardest languages to study. However, a Korean language educator says attaining fluency in the Korean language can be facilitated with help from diverse online platforms. Sun Hyun-woo, CEO of Talk To Me In Korean or TTMIK -- one of

Jan. 29, 2023

[Newsmaker] [Hello Hangeul] Hangeul is just a few clicks away

Ana Perez, a graduate student living in New York, was ecstatic when she got her first “golden owl” in Korean on the popular language education app Duolingo. The golden owl is a trophy given to users who complete a certain set of skills in the language of their choice. "As there are so many levels here, that took me about four months to get. I feel proud of myself, or jarang seu reo weo," said Perez, adding the word for "proud" in Korean to emphasize her language s

Jan. 29, 2023

[Newsmaker] [Herald Interview] Hangeul as more than just a hobby: KSIF chief

The following series is part of The Korea Herald’s “Hello Hangeul” project of interviews, in-depth analyses, videos and various other forms of content that shed light on the stories of people who are learning the Korean language and the correlation between Korea’s soft power and the rise of the language within the league of world languages. – Ed. The ever-growing popularity of Korean content has sparked a boom in Korean language learning worldwide. Standing at the v

Jan. 16, 2023

[Newsmaker] [Hello Hangeul] 'Hangeul education is basic right for multicultural students'

Publicly offered Korean language education for children from immigrant and foreign families is necessary because they are entitled to learn the language as part of their human rights, said Seoul City's education chief, stressing the need to expand quality high-level classes currently limited to adults. “Students of multicultural backgrounds should be given a chance to learn the Korean language as a basic human right that they are entitled to,” said Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent

Jan. 15, 2023

[Newsmaker] [My Hangeul Story] Hollywood actor Thomas McDonell's accidental affair with Korean language

American actor Thomas McDonell, best known for his role as Finn Collins in the US television network CW’s post-apocalyptic series “The 100,” has a rather peculiar presence on Twitter. One day in 2017, he made his first tweet in Korean. At that time, he was into tweeting in various languages to reach out to people from all over the world who were looking at his profile. His tweets are usually simple expressions -- "I'm bored," "Is this for real?" -- in

Jan. 8, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] The complications of the 'one-inch' barrier

The following series is part of The Korea Herald’s “Hello Hangeul” project which consists of interviews, in-depth analyses, videos and various other forms of content that shed light on the stories of people who are learning the Korean language and the correlation between Korea’s soft power and the rise of its language within the league of world languages. – Ed. Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho made headlines by using his acceptance speech at the 2020 Golden Glo

Jan. 8, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] A snapshot of Korean language now

The following series is part of The Korea Herald’s “Hello Hangeul” project which consists of interviews, in-depth analyses, videos and various other forms of content that shed light on the stories of people who are learning the Korean language and the correlation between Korea’s soft power and the rise of its language within the league of world languages. – Ed. Korean has 81.7 million speakers around the globe, although most of them are found on the Korean Peninsula

Jan. 2, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Common language, diverse goals

The following series is part of The Korea Herald’s “Hello Hangeul” project which consists of interviews, in-depth analyses, videos and various other forms of content that shed light on the stories of people who are learning the Korean language and the correlation between Korea’s soft power and the rise of its language within the league of world languages. – Ed. South Korea’s thriving popular culture has been drawing an increasing number of curious young pe

Jan. 2, 2023