Depending on your language level and the type of experience that you’re looking for, online programs can make a real difference on your journey to learning the Korean language.
To help you choose the right course for you, I’ve compiled a list of the best online Korean courses to get you speaking like a native.
I recommend this course if you’re not one to study with a book and prefer (virtual) human interaction. It covers the basics of Korean communication to get you conversant quickly and without much effort.
This clever series of 63 mini-lectures guides you through the Korean language step by step using mnemonic images and useful tips with over 5 hours of video content. You’ll learn the structure of a Korean sentence, basic pronunciation, essential words and expressions as well as some cultural insights.
Pros:
Learn at your own pace
Very beginner-friendly
Choose to learn what you want
Cons:
Courses tend to be brief
Limited scope of content
2. Best for Immersive, On-the-go Learning: FluentU
Here's a quick look at the variety of video choices available to you:
Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.
Don't stop there, though. You can use FluentU’s unique quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions.
FluentU even tracks your progress and remembers all the words you've learned, making for a 100% personalized experience.
Review sessions use video context to help embed the words in your memory. The best part? You can access the full FluentU video library with a free trial!
The Hanyang University of International Education’s online beginner Korean courses (levels 1 and 2) target learners who want to get a comprehensive foundation of the language.
If you’re at least familiar with the Korean alphabet, this could be the course for you. The video lessons are based on the institution’s own elementary Korean textbook and cover vocabulary and expressions with a strong emphasis on grammar.
Along the way, you can ask your instructor questions or interact with other students in the online community. The full course lasts 10 weeks (with the option to sign up for just the first 3) and lessons are split up into 5 units. Hanyang University also offers additional courses on the FutureLearn website.
Price: $150 per course, monthly subscription also available
Certificate available: No
Pimsleur is a popular choice for language enthusiasts. It follows its own tested method of learning, which emphasizes spaced repetition and recall of information.
Each level of Pimsleur features 30 Korean lessons at 30 minutes each that focus largely on vocabulary, listening and speaking skills. You’ll learn the essentials of conversation and become confident in navigating through everyday scenarios.
Because they’re all in audio format, you can easily pop in your headphones and start learning whenever and wherever. Pimsleur uses little tricks to make sure you’re paying attention like repetition, mental imagery and nudges for you to repeat what you hear. Check out our full review of Pimsleur here.
Pros:
Portable lessons
Focus on pronunciation, core vocabulary and common conversation
The King Sejong Institute is a well-known and highly-respected establishment, providing resources for learning both the Korean language and culture.
They provide several options for online learning. You can sign up for an e-class hosted by the institute or affiliates, apply for a time-limited course (and wait for approval) or go the self-study route and take advantage of the institute’s many online resources.
The class levels range from beginner to advanced. Much of the content will be derived from King Sejong Institute’s own textbooks. The length of the different classes vary, but most will last a number of weeks. In addition to language courses, the institute also provides Korean culture classes.
Hills Learning is an accredited Asian language center that offers online lessons. Although it’s virtual, the system works quite like a real class.
You’ll be taught by a dedicated Korean teacher and have fellow classmates join you in your learning. If you thrive best with a classroom experience, then I recommend this course for you.
You can take Korean language classes at different levels from beginner to advanced. Each class runs for 8 weekswith 90 minutes of lessons per week. The school aims to utilize Korean for about 90% of every lesson, which will ensure that you’re being kept on your toes.
Pros:
Provides a classroom-like experience
Dedicated instructor
Opportunities for getting feedback and assessments
I recommend Loecsen if you’re preparing a trip or just looking to cover the basics quickly. The course offers a good introduction to Korean with all the essential words and sentences.
Using multimedia tools and effective word association techniques, Loecsen helps you quickly learn new words (and how to pronounce them correctly!) by matching them with their Korean writing, drawings and audio. You can also use the app and download the files right onto your phone for offline learning.
The 17 lesson themes range from everyday expressions, feelings and directions for taxi drivers to things like medical terms and getting in trouble. The site presents terms using English, Hangul and Romanization of Korean characters.
This site boasts a strong curriculum using a variety of multimedia content for purchase to facilitate your Korean learning experience.
Structured into 9 levels of 30 lessons each, the site expertly covers all the essentials, from must-know words and idioms to simple grammar structures as well as essential phrases you’d hear (and use!) every day.
Ranked by topic and using a step-by-step approach, each lesson consists of an mp3 file or downloadable podcasts with free supporting PDFs and practice exercises, if you want to purchase their textbooks.
Pros:
Extra lessons beyond the standard curriculum
Supplemental study resources provided
Cons:
Limited free resources
9. Best for Weekly, Thematic Learning: Lexis Korea
Price: Roughly $52 to $174 weekly
Certificate available: Yes
Lexis Korea, a school that’s previously won awards for educational achievement, now offers a virtual version of its on-campus Korean language course.
These virtual classes aim to help overseas learners rapidly progress in the language. There are full-time, part-time, evening and weekend courses available, as well as a one-to-one option for personalized attention.
The school does show a lot of sympathy toward learners with differing time commitments, so if you’re schedule-conscious but eager to learn Korean, I suggest you give these courses a try!
Yonsei University, one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea, offers a popular and highly-rated beginner’s Korean course held on the Coursera platform.
The course consists of 5 lessons with 4 units, covering fundamental concepts in reading, writing, speaking and listening while offering additional exercises to supplement your learning. It’s estimated that the full course takes about 18 hours to complete, depending on your study pace.
A forum is available where you can interact with fellow learners and moderators, so you can feel free to ask questions or practice certain concepts. I recommend this course if you enjoy learning with an instructor and a class simulation.
The Cyber University of Korea offers a course on the basics of Korean. Just sign up with your email and you can access the whole course for free.
The content is split into 4 levels of difficulty. Level 1 teaches you the basics of communication. The higher levels build upon that foundation so that by level 4, you should be able to freely speak on a multitude of topics.
Because much of the content is based on communication and is provided in lecture-style videos in Korean (with optional subtitles), learners tend to get a lot of pronunciation and listening practice.
Pros:
Completely free, no strings attached
Multi-language support
Focuses on strengthening communication skills
Cons:
Supplemental self-study likely needed
Somewhat lacking in grammar and vocabulary content
How to Study Korean is heavily focused on grammar, which is essential for upping your reading and writing skills. It takes learners from the basics of reading Korean to upper advanced fluency.
The lessons include auditory guides and videos from their YouTube channel so they’re more like dynamic textbook learning experiences.
You can also supplement the lessons with their bonus references available for purchase, including vocabulary lists, workbooks, themed lessons and short stories.
Pros:
Multilingual lessons
Lessons are available in PDF format
Option to learn Hanja
Cons:
PDF lessons, workbooks, vocab lists and other supplemental resources cost extra
Content is less engaging
13. Best for Structured, School-like Learning: 90 Day Korean
Price: Free content available; $35-$47/month or $239-$327/year
Certificate available: Yes
90 Day Korean is an online course where native-speaking language coaches let you in on the secrets of learning and remembering Korean for the rest of your life.
This course is divided into 4 modules that last 90 days, with weekly lesson plans. All 4 modules can be completed within a year, but you can take as much or as little time as you like.
The Standard Plan gives you access to the Inner Circle community and all the courses, while the VIP plan includes personal coaching and homework grading. All members also gain access to live monthly virtual meetings for additional language training.
Pros:
Regular check-ins from mentors to keep you accountable
Contextual lessons for better language retention
Weekly lessons with flexible options to learn at a faster pace
Price: Free with options to support through donations and merch
Certificate available: No
Conversational Korean is a YouTube channel hosted by Suntae Kim. He provides excellent Korean instruction for beginners and anyone else looking to boost their confidence in speaking skills.
You can ask questions and receive immediate feedback during his livestreams. Or check out his Korean Pronunciation playlist where he breaks down the proper mouth and tongue movements to improve your accent, diction and intonation.
You can find grammar clips and full-length vocabulary lessons. Listening practice is also covered with the “Mooky the Parrot” series and Korean Listening Tests. If you love learning through videos, this is definitely the course for you!
Pros:
Strong focus on proper pronunciation
Wide variety of content with different video lengths
Option to join live streams
Cons:
Intermediate lessons available but mostly caters to beginners
We hope you have a lot of fun with these fantastic online Korean courses.
This is a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips in these courses—so be sure to make good use of it!
