Learning Korean From Scratch: What Actually Worked for Me

The first time I looked at Hangeul, I thought it was impossible. Those circles and lines that looked like nothing I had ever seen. But it turns out the Korean alphabet is one of the most logical writing systems in the world — and you can learn it in a week.

What comes after is a different story.

I’ve been studying Korean for about a year now, entirely on my own at first. No classes, no teacher, no structure beyond whatever I could piece together from the internet. Just me, a lot of curiosity, and honestly — a lot of dramas.

How It Started: Coursera

My first real step was finding structured courses online. I took two that I genuinely recommend:

First Step Korean by Yonsei University and A Bridge to the World: Korean Language for Beginners I by Sungkyunkwan University — both on Coursera. They gave me a foundation: Hangeul, basic grammar, common vocabulary. The pace is manageable, and having actual university professors explain things made a difference.

That said, online courses can only take you so far. I needed something more.

The Korean Studies Center

At some point I found out there was a Korean Studies Center in Mexico that offered language classes. I enrolled starting from A1 — completely from scratch — and it changed everything. Having a structured curriculum, a teacher, and actual classmates who were as lost as me made the whole thing feel less overwhelming.

At the end of the course, I won the 우수상 — the excellence award. I genuinely did not expect that. I’m currently continuing with the A2 level.

What Actually Worked

Duolingo — but only at the beginning. I used it to build the daily habit and get familiar with basic words and phrases. But as a main tool, it has clear limits. The Korean course is especially thin compared to other languages, and at some point I needed more. I ended up abandoning it once the classes gave me a proper structure.

Watching dramas. This is the one I’d tell everyone to do. Not as a shortcut, but as something that keeps you connected to the language even when studying feels like too much. At first I watched with English subtitles. Now I watch in Korean with English subtitles. My goal is to eventually get to Korean audio with Korean subtitles. One step at a time.

Letting it be slow. I used to get frustrated that I wasn’t progressing faster. A year in, I can read basic texts, introduce myself, and understand simple phrases. It’s not fluency — but it’s real, and it’s mine.

The Moment It Clicked

There was a song. 위아래 (Up & Down) by EXID. I’d heard it before without really listening. Then one day I realized I could follow along — not every word, but enough. Enough to feel the rhythm of the language, to hear individual syllables where before there was only noise.

That was the moment Korean stopped feeling foreign and started feeling familiar. I’m chasing more moments like that.

If you’re just starting out and wondering where to begin — look up those Coursera courses and find a Korean studies center near you if there is one. Having a real class made more difference than I expected.

And watch dramas. Obviously.