Finding reading content in Korean can be tricky because the level of the material can be so uncertain. Sometimes “easy” short stories and books may be too easy, while others are too hard.
To find good reading material suited for your level, use graded Korean readers (books intended for teaching reading to specific levels of learners). Find our list of recommendations below.
Just starting out reading Korean but already know Hangul? “Once Upon a Time in Korea: An Elementary Reader” is a good way to transition towards reading more complex texts.
“Once Upon a Time in Korea” is designed for students who know a little vocabulary and grammar but want to learn more.
The book contains over 20 short stories. These stories are common Korean folktales that many Koreans are familiar with. The stories feature simple sentences, so you won’t get too overwhelmed with sentence structure.
The book is also illustrated, so you might be able to figure out the meaning based on the pictures even if you don’t recognize all the words. Additionally, vocabulary lists can help you better understand the story and learn new vocabulary.
Plus, there are cultural notes along the way to provide you with background information.
Shopping tip: This is a book that may be more difficult to get through bigger online sellers like Amazon for a reasonable price depending on when you look, but you can buy it through the author’s website and view a sample here.
If you have some experience with Korean (two to four semesters), know Hangul and want a reader that really engages you, you might like “Essential Korean Reader.”
This reader covers topics related to modern and traditional Korean life and culture, like greetings, the Harvest Moon Festival and workplace etiquette.
In addition to readings, though, there are plenty of other materials to help you better learn from the text. For instance, there are pre- and post-reading questions to help you engage with the text on a deeper level.
Grammar explanations can help you understand the underlying structure of the language. Vocabulary lists make it easy to study new and unfamiliar words and phrases. Meanwhile, exercises help reinforce your learning.
So if you want a reader that offers much more than simple reading practice, look no further than “Essential Korean Reader.”
Though not strictly a “reader” but more of a textbook, “Reading Korean for Beginners” can help beginning Korean students who already know Hangul get the reading skills they need.
The main focus of this book is on practical skills and reading comprehension. Rather than sharing short stories, this book focuses on real-life situations, like conversations.
There are cultural notes to give you a better understanding of the context. Exercises and assignments reinforce the material.
When you want to segue into reading authentic, modern texts, this intermediate Korean reader is a good choice to help you get your footing. That’s because it focuses on helping you transition from academic practice to real-world materials.
Designed for mid- to high-intermediate Korean students, “The Routledge Intermediate Korean Reader” helps smooth your transition to reading everyday material by providing an array of text types, including articles and literature excerpts.
Texts cover culturally relevant topics, like the Dokdo dispute (a dispute between Japan and South Korea over some small islets).
There are 18 total graded readings, which vary by complexity of syntax, grammar and vocabulary. But apart from the readings, “Intermediate Korean Reader” also offers a useful array of other features. For instance, helpful vocabulary lists, brief explanations of tricky grammar rules, questions to test your comprehension and an answer key to check your work.
Need some conversation practice along with your reading practice? “Modern Korean: An Intermediate Reader” is a great choice.
This reader focuses on providing conversational-style texts that can give you reading practice along with insight into how a conversation might play out.
The texts focus largely on school-related interactions, including those between students and with teachers.
Topics addressed include geography, literature, customs, history and more. In general, the topics aim to give you insight into Korean life and culture while you build your reading and conversation skills.
“Modern Korean: An Intermediate Reader” features 24 total lessons, and each lesson contains a variety of learning resources. Lessons include a descriptive text, dialogue, discussion of vocabulary and grammar, drills, exercises and a helpful vocabulary list.
In the second half of the book, you’ll even be introduced to Chinese characters used in Korean.
Once Hangul no longer seems like much of a challenge, you might try reading Hanja, which are Chinese characters that have made their way into the Korean language.
“Korean Reader for Chinese Characters” focuses on giving you the reading practice you need to avoid hyperventilating every time you see a Hanja character. The book includes more than 500 commonly-used Hanja characters you may encounter in everyday life.
Not only does it aim to help you read the characters, but it also teaches you their sounds, meanings, forms and compounds. There’s even a section on stroke order to help you master writing the tricky characters.
“Korean Reader for Chinese Characters” contains a total of 40 lessons. Each chapter starts off with a reading to show you the Hanja vocabulary in context. As you progress through the book, vocabulary gets increasingly advanced, allowing you to build on what you’ve learned.
Why Use Korean Graded Readers?
Graded readers can give you more insight into your current proficiency level. Your reading proficiency might not be clear to you. Some learners may overestimate their skills, while others underestimate them. Since each graded reader is meant for a clear skill level, you can use them to help deduce whether you’re reading at, for example, a beginning or intermediate level.
They give you level-appropriate reading practice. Level-appropriate reading practice can be hard to find, and consequently, your reading skills could fall behind your other skills. However, since graded readers are designed specifically for learners, they make it easier to find material that’s appropriate for your level.
They allow you to progress easily to more advanced material as your skills improve. Like many learning websites, Korean readers are often set up to allow you to follow a set order of material. This makes it easy to move on to harder texts as you get better and better at reading.
They’re best used in conjunction with another supplementary learning resource. A language learning program like FluentU, for instance, can help to round out your Korean knowledge.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
Using a program like this alongside graded readers can help sharpen your reading skills, as well as your listening skills, across a wide range of topics and difficulty levels.
So there you have it! With these Korean graded readers, you’ll be building up your Korean reading confidence with books that are the perfect level for you one step at a time.
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Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.
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