●■●● Why Hallyu Is Popular Worldwide — Complete Guide to Korean and Hangul with TOPIK Success Strategies
The world is now fascinated by K-POP, K-Drama, and K-Beauty — the global wave of Hallyu
But behind this explosive popularity lies a powerful core: the Korean language and Hangul
The lyrics of BTS songs, the lines in Korean dramas,
and the natural expressions heard in variety shows
cannot be fully conveyed through subtitles alone
That’s why fans around the world have begun learning Korean and studying Hangul for themselves
Learning Korean is not just about enjoying culture
It opens real opportunities to study, work, live, and settle in Korea
Today, many Korean companies and institutions use
TOPIK scores and Korean language proficiency as key criteria
for recruitment and visa screening
Foreign students and professionals are building new careers and lives through the power of Korean
In this article, you will discover:
→ Why Hallyu has gained explosive global popularity
→ The cultural and creative value of the Korean language and Hangul
→ TOPIK exam strategies and practical ways to apply Korean skills in real life
If you don’t just want to be a viewer of K-content,
but someone who studies, works, and lives in Korea,
this guide will be your first step toward that goal
[ⓒ한국관광공사 포토코리아-북촌/김지호]
●●🟧 Within global youth culture
The special value you gain by learning Korean
●✅ Among today’s global teens and twenties, Hallyu (Korean Wave) is one of the strongest cultural currents
→ From K-pop and K-dramas to films, fashion, beauty, and games, Hallyu has spread beyond Asia to Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East
→ Artists like BTS, BLACKPINK, NewJeans, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, and even projects such as K-Pop: Demon Hunters have huge influence, but there is a lesser-known driving force behind this wave
→ Artists like BTS, BLACKPINK, NewJeans, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, and even projects such as K-Pop: Demon Hunters have huge influence, but there is a lesser-known driving force behind this wave
●✅ That hidden force is Korean and Hangul
→ Korean is not just a tool for communication but a language that conveys emotion as it is
→ Fans want to feel lyrics and drama lines in the original language and begin learning Korean and Hangul to enjoy content without subtitles
→ In K-pop fan communities, a culture has taken root of sharing and analyzing the “Korean original” lyrics to fully grasp the nuance
●✅ Korean as a “language of emotion”
→ With shifts between formal and informal speech and subtle sentence endings, you can convey intimacy, respect, distance, and more
→ Even short phrases like “saranghae,” “bogo sipeo,” and “gwaenchanha” carry completely different feelings depending on intonation and endings
→ This expressive power heightens immersion in K-dramas and the resonance of K-pop lyrics, strongly motivating people to learn
●✅ Korean as a language for global communication
→ Thanks to Hallyu, Korean increasingly plays a “common language” role among young people worldwide
→ It is now common to see fans of different nationalities sing in Korean or communicate with Korean words
→ Expressions like “annyeong,” “saranghaeyo,” and “hwaiting” have become cultural codes in many countries
●●🟧 Why Korean nurtures creativity
●✅ Expanding the range of expression
→ With rich verb endings and honorific systems, Korean lets you express the same meaning in many different ways
→ This trains flexible thinking and helps you handle speech and writing more creatively
→ With rich verb endings and honorific systems, Korean lets you express the same meaning in many different ways
→ This trains flexible thinking and helps you handle speech and writing more creatively
●✅ Strengthening emotional expression
→ Through intonation, sentence endings, onomatopoeia, and mimetic words, you can convey feelings in fine detail, adding sensitivity to creative work such as writing, lyricism, and composition
●✅ Gaining new perspectives
→ Learning a language with a different structure broadens your mindset and naturally sparks new ideas and storylines
●✅ Advantages in creative roles
→ This expressive and emotional power becomes a differentiated asset in jobs that require creativity, such as writer, composer, advertising and marketing, game scenario, and design concept planning
📌 It may sound unexpected to say that learning Korean increases creativity, but multiple studies have demonstrated it
→ Whether you work in Korean-related fields or in completely different areas, the experience of learning Korean leads to a higher level of creativity than others
●●🟧 Korean takes a long time to learn, but Hangul can be learned surprisingly fast
●✅ What many learners feel at first
→ Hangul is picked up quickly, but the Korean language itself takes longer than expected
→ Hangul is picked up quickly, but the Korean language itself takes longer than expected
●✅ Korean belongs to a difficult language group
→ By the US Department of State FSI standard, Korean is in the most difficult group for English speakers (Category V)
→ It is assessed that you need 2,200+ study hours on average to use it fluently
▶ Grammar structure: Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, different from the SVO order of English and many European languages
▶ Honorifics and speech levels: sentence forms change depending on the other person’s age, status, and relationship
▶ Particles and verb endings: particles (은/는, 이/가, 을/를) and verb/adjective endings are complex
▶ Vocabulary system: a mix of Sino-Korean, native Korean, and loanwords, with many pronunciation changes
●✅ Difficulty varies by native language region
→ English and Northern/Western Europe: different structure and phonology require time to acquire
→ Southern Europe: pronunciation comes faster but grammar adaptation is similar to English speakers
→ China and Japan: Sino-Korean vocabulary speeds up lexical learning, but final consonant (batchim) pronunciation is challenging
→ Southeast Asia and Central Asia: grammar can be learned quickly, but adapting to pronunciation and vocabulary takes time
●✅ Hangul is easy to learn
→ Created in 1443 by King Sejong, composed of 14 consonants and 10 vowels
→ One-to-one mapping between sounds and spelling with simple rules
▶ With intensive study: 1–2 days
▶ Even at a relaxed pace: basic reading and writing in 1–2 weeks
●●🟧 What is the Korea TOPIK exam
●✅ TOPIK overview and uses
→ TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) is an exam that allows non-native speakers to officially certify their Korean ability
→ For those planning long-term stays such as study in Korea, employment, or permanent residency, it is virtually essential and is officially recognized by the Korean government
→ It is currently administered in more than 80 countries at over 300 test sites worldwide, with more than 350,000 candidates each year
→ Scores are valid for 2 years and serve as strong evidence when submitting official documents for visas, admissions, and employment
→ TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) is an exam that allows non-native speakers to officially certify their Korean ability
→ For those planning long-term stays such as study in Korea, employment, or permanent residency, it is virtually essential and is officially recognized by the Korean government
→ It is currently administered in more than 80 countries at over 300 test sites worldwide, with more than 350,000 candidates each year
→ Scores are valid for 2 years and serve as strong evidence when submitting official documents for visas, admissions, and employment
●●🟧 Fields where TOPIK scores are used
●✅ Visa issuance and stay
→ D-4 (language training), D-2 (study), E-7 (employment), F-2 (long-term residency), F-5 (permanent residency) require a certain level or give extra points
→ Used as proof of basic Korean ability for the marriage visa (F-6) and family invitations
→ D-4 (language training), D-2 (study), E-7 (employment), F-2 (long-term residency), F-5 (permanent residency) require a certain level or give extra points
→ Used as proof of basic Korean ability for the marriage visa (F-6) and family invitations
●✅ Study and scholarships
→ For university and graduate admissions, Levels 2–4 are required depending on the major, and Level 4 or higher is essential for prestigious schools and popular majors
→ Extra points or required criteria for the Government Scholarship Program (GKS) and university scholarships
●✅ Employment and job changes
→ Used as an official Korean proficiency assessment when hiring foreigners at large Korean companies, foreign-invested firms, and public institutions
→ Recognized as language proficiency proof when hiring at overseas Korean companies and local subsidiaries
●✅ Professional licenses and certifications
→ For some national licenses such as nurse, social worker, cook, hairdresser, and tourist interpreter-guide, a certain TOPIK level is required
→ For some national licenses such as nurse, social worker, cook, hairdresser, and tourist interpreter-guide, a certain TOPIK level is required
●✅ Korean education and research
→ When teaching Korean abroad, holding TOPIK Level 6 is advantageous for admission to the Korean language teacher Level 3 program and for hiring
→ Required or gives extra points at institutions such as King Sejong Institute and Korean Cultural Centers
📌 A TOPIK score is not just a test result but the most trusted certification of Korean proficiency across study, employment, visas, and immigration related to Korea
●●🟧 Test schedule and application
●✅ Test schedule
→ Korea: 6 times per year Overseas: 2–4 times per year depending on the country
→ Registration opens about 2 months before the test date, and popular test centers may close early
→ Prepare required items in advance such as passport number, photo, and email
→ Korea: 6 times per year Overseas: 2–4 times per year depending on the country
→ Registration opens about 2 months before the test date, and popular test centers may close early
→ Prepare required items in advance such as passport number, photo, and email
●●🟧 Exam fees
●✅ Paper-based test (PBT) in Korea
→ TOPIK I: 40,000 KRW / TOPIK II: 55,000 KRW
→ TOPIK I: 40,000 KRW / TOPIK II: 55,000 KRW
●✅ Internet-based test (IBT) in Korea
→ TOPIK I: about 70,000 KRW / TOPIK II: about 95,000 KRW
●✅ Examples of overseas fees
→ United States: TOPIK I $40 / TOPIK II $55
→ Australia: TOPIK I AU$40 / TOPIK II AU$45
📌 Fees vary by mode and country,
so always check the latest information on the official site
●●🟧 Test structure and levels
→ TOPIK I (Beginner: Levels 1–2)
→ Reading + Listening / total 200 points (Level 1: 80+ points, Level 2: 140+ points)
→ TOPIK II (Intermediate–Advanced: Levels 3–6)
→ Reading + Listening + Writing / total 300 points (Level 3: 120+ points, Level 4: 150+ points, Level 5: 190+ points, Level 6: 230+ points)
→ Reading + Listening / total 200 points (Level 1: 80+ points, Level 2: 140+ points)
→ TOPIK II (Intermediate–Advanced: Levels 3–6)
→ Reading + Listening + Writing / total 300 points (Level 3: 120+ points, Level 4: 150+ points, Level 5: 190+ points, Level 6: 230+ points)
●●🟧 Why Korean proficiency and TOPIK scores matter
→ Korea is still a country where it is hard to live using only English
→ Korean ability is essential for long-term stay, stable settlement, and success in work or study
→ In official procedures such as visas, admissions, employment, and scholarships, TOPIK scores serve as a highly trusted standard
→ Korean ability is essential for long-term stay, stable settlement, and success in work or study
→ In official procedures such as visas, admissions, employment, and scholarships, TOPIK scores serve as a highly trusted standard
●●🟧 How to prepare for the exam
●✅ Analyze past papers
→ Repeat the last 5 years of past exams and practice under real time limits
→ For wrong answers, analyze the cause and review repeatedly
→ Repeat the last 5 years of past exams and practice under real time limits
→ For wrong answers, analyze the cause and review repeatedly
●✅ Focus on vocabulary and grammar
→ Compile frequently appearing words and grammar and memorize through repetition
→ Turn memorized expressions into your own sentences and use them actively
●✅ Prepare for writing
→ Copy model answers, diversify connectors, build a habit of writing one sentence a day
●✅ Improve listening
→ Rewatch dramas, films, and YouTube with subtitles on/off
→ Listen to news and podcasts and practice shadowing
●✅ Read more efficiently
→ Check the questions first, then read the passage, focusing on keywords
●●🟧 Practical self-study methods
📌 Two core points for TOPIK
TOPIK evaluates standard grammar and spelling → observe spelling, particles, and verb endings precisely for high scores
Language acquisition thrives on human interaction → especially conversations with Koreans, language exchange, and cultural experiences
TOPIK evaluates standard grammar and spelling → observe spelling, particles, and verb endings precisely for high scores
Language acquisition thrives on human interaction → especially conversations with Koreans, language exchange, and cultural experiences
●✅ Free courses
→ Actively use free and useful content from King Sejong Institute,
TTMIK, and Korean Unnie
●✅ Apps
→ Duolingo, Drops, Memrise, Naver Dictionary, Papago
●✅ Language exchange
→ Tandem and HelloTalk for real-time chats with native speakers
●✅ Goal and habit management
→ Target for Level 3: 6 months–1 year / for Level 5 or higher: 1 year or more
→ Study steadily 10–30 minutes a day and leverage study groups
●●🟧 Study methods by location
●✅ In Korea
→ Make full use of your environment, read news, signs, and menus, and keep a Korean diary
→ Make full use of your environment, read news, signs, and menus, and keep a Korean diary
●✅ Overseas
→ Combine online resources and language exchange, study with dramas (subtitles on/off, record expressions, repeat viewings)
→ Strengths: sustained interest, acquisition of practical conversational expressions
→ Weaknesses: slang and non-standard speech may appear, fast dialogue can be challenging
●✅ At a Korean language institute
→ Study all subjects evenly, complete preview and review on the same day, and actively join mock tests and cultural activities
●■●● Complete guide to ‘Hangul’ for foreigners
●●🟧 Hangul is one of the easiest writing systems in the world
●✅ Excellence of Hangul
→ Its creation principles are so original and scientific that it is listed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World
→ World-renowned universities like Harvard and Oxford have called it “the most systematic and efficient script in the world”
→ It is a phonetic system modeled on the shapes and sounds of the speech organs, so once you learn how to read, you can pronounce immediately
●✅ Learning timeframe
→ With focused study for a day or two you can learn the consonants and vowels and read simple words
→ On average, basic reading and writing are possible in 1–2 weeks, and with just 14 consonants and 10 vowels you can combine thousands of words
→ After 1–2 months of learning, you can read short sentences, grasp meaning, and apply it right away in daily life
📌 Many learners say after studying Hangul, “Why did I only now discover such an easy and efficient writing system”
●✅ What is Hangul
→ Created in 1443 by King Sejong so that all people could read and write easily, Hangul is Korea’s official script
→ Classical Chinese characters took long and were hard to learn, so to eradicate illiteracy a simple and regular system was designed
→ Sounds and spelling correspond one-to-one, making Hangul one of the rare scripts where you can infer pronunciation from the letter shapes
●✅ Structure and features of Hangul
→ It is a featural, combinatory script where each syllable block is composed of an initial consonant (choseong) + a medial vowel (jungseong) + an optional final consonant (jongseong)
→ Example: ‘한’ = ㅎ (initial) + ㅏ (medial) + ㄴ (final)
→ Consonants are modeled on the tongue, lips, and throat used in articulation, and vowels are derived from the principles of heaven (ㆍ), earth (ㅡ), and human (ㅣ)
→ Pronunciation and spelling match almost perfectly, which benefits foreign learners
→ The rules are simple with few exceptions, so once you learn how to combine the same consonants and vowels you can easily read new words
●✅ Why foreigners should learn Hangul
→ Practicality: Korea is not yet a country where everything can be done only in English, so Hangul is a daily-life essential
→ You can use it immediately in ordering food, using transportation, visiting hospitals, and shopping
→ Cultural access: knowing Hangul lets you enjoy K-drama lines, K-pop lyrics, and film subtitles in the original
→ Reading Hangul accelerates communication and adaptation during travel, study, and work in Korea
●✅ Easy ways to learn Hangul
→ Free courses and apps: learn a little every day with Duolingo, Drops, Memrise, and TTMIK
→ Use step-by-step materials from King Sejong Institute’s online courses
→ Learn with dramas and songs: read K-drama lines aloud and hand-copy K-pop lyrics for fun and spaced repetition effects
→ Combine writing and reading: even writing one sentence a day helps long-term retention
●✅ Hangeul Day
→ Every year on October 9, Korea celebrates the creation of Hangul with nationwide events, experiences, and festivals
→ Foreigners can freely participate, and this day often deepens interest and affection for Hangul
📌 Summary
→ Hangul is more than a writing system, it embodies Korea’s philosophy, egalitarian spirit, and cultural identity
→ It is easy to learn and highly practical, so it is the first step you should take to live and work more comfortably in Korea
→ It is never too late to start now
●●🟧 This guide is provided by Bridge Plan Korea, a specialist agency for studying in Korea
●✅ This guide offers general information, and required levels and documents may vary depending on your nationality and purpose of stay
📌 Procedures and criteria may change at any time Please check the latest notices and FAQ on our official site
→https://bridgeplankorea.com/
📌 This guide was prepared with partial machine translation Some expressions may read unnaturally and we ask for your understanding
1️⃣ Study in Korea – Preparation Guide
→ If you’re planning to study in Korea and want to understand visas, language courses, and scholarships, check out our Study in Korea Preparation Guide for everything you need to know before applying
2️⃣ Korean Visa Guide 2025
→ Learn about the visa types and application process that every international student and worker in Korea should know in the Korean Visa Guide 2025
3️⃣ Tuition and Living Costs in Korea
→ Curious about the real cost of studying and living in Korea? Find out detailed tuition fees, housing costs, and everyday expenses in the Tuition and Living Costs in Korea guide
https://koreavisaguide.blogspot.com/2025/08/international-student-money-transfer-korea.html
📌If you found this article helpful, explore more on our blog —
you’ll discover practical guides about studying, working, living, and building your future in Korea.
From visa and university tips to lifestyle and cultural insights,
our posts are designed to help foreigners experience Korea with confidence.
you’ll discover practical guides about studying, working, living, and building your future in Korea.
From visa and university tips to lifestyle and cultural insights,
our posts are designed to help foreigners experience Korea with confidence.
