Nowadays, many people, young and old, are getting hooked to the Korean wave, also known as Hallyu or K-Pop, whether it’s movies, series, or music. Due to its popularity and high demand, many are interested in learning the Korean language.
Unfortunately, Korean is one of the most challenging foreign languages to learn and master. If you want to succeed in learning Korean, you have to be highly motivated to make progress and improve your grammar and vocabulary in no time.
Thankfully, watching Korean variety shows and drama series may help improve your conversational Korean, according to hanakorean.com.sg. It is essential if you want to travel and talk to locals like a true Korean. You may also consider listening to entertaining music and trying to translate it on your own to see any improvements.
But why would people go through such lengths to learn a challenging language when others are pretty simple, such as Spanish, Japanese, and German? In this article, you’ll discover the excellent benefits of studying Korean you’d possibly want to consider, such as:
1. You Can Talk To 80 Million People Or More
The Korean language is considered the 22nd most spoken mother tongue, with an estimated 80 million speakers worldwide. This number includes the two Korean peninsulas, the North and South, and other Korean in foreign countries, such as the Philippines and the United States.
On a side note, the numbers may not be as prominent as you would expect, considering the other 21 native tongues across the world. However, the language has become one of the most interesting languages to master because of the growing influence of Korean culture across the globe.
2. South Korea Has Extensive Global Connections
The popularity and the economic success of South Korea have become known worldwide, creating a name of its own on the international stage. It allows the country to produce investment opportunities from other powerful nations. That’s why Korean has become a prevalent language in the global arena despite not being used extensively.
According to experts, the Korean economy continues to grow and develop at a steady pace. In 2021, South Korea was one of the largest goods exporters, boosting their GDP and taking a seat at one of the top economies in the world.
Because of its growing economic powers and strong relationships with other countries, South Korea has made a name for itself. That said, learning Korean may come in handy someday, especially when pursuing to level up your business and establish international relations.
3. Learning Korean Opens Many Opportunities
In the previous decades, Korea has been one of the poorest and undeveloped countries because of the continuous raging of wars. Today, it has made a name for itself and has become one of the richest countries in the world, with an average GDP of USD$1.65 trillion.
This growing economy means a lot of opportunities and endless possibilities, giving many people a stable and decent job to feed their families.
In addition, a lot of career opportunities exist in a wide range of industries, including textile, car manufacturing, technology, shipbuilding, tourism, hospitality, research and development, and electronics.
That’s why learning Korean can be very important if you plan to work in one of these industries to develop your skills and knowledge. If you know how to speak Korean and put it on your resume, many companies might be attracted to work with you.
4. Learn Chinese And Japanese Easily
Historically speaking, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese come from an interrelated family of languages. That’s why it’s easy for Korean speakers to learn Chinese and Japanese than in any other region.
Once you have achieved a high level of Korean fluency, around level four or five of the TOPIK test, you have an extra advantage in learning the other two languages. But why is this so?
It’s because Korean, Japanese, and Chinese share similar grammar functions, vocabulary, sentence structure, and the use of punctuations and markers. Also, these three languages still share the same ancient writing form called ‘Hanja or Chinese Hanja.’ Though, it’s not widely used anymore in Korean because of the Hangul or the Korean alphabet.
5. Work With Multinational Companies
South Korea is the birthplace of many brands you surely love and appreciate, such as Hyundai, Samsung, and LG. So, if you’re planning to get a job in these multinational companies, mastering Korean may give you a good advantage.
By studying Korean, you could work on other Korean corporations with offices and stores worldwide. These include Lotte, Hyundai Motors, Kia, Hanwha, etc. However, learning Korean alone will not get you a safe spot in these companies. You’d still need to work on your achievements, portfolios, and qualifications to land and secure a great position.
These international companies prefer someone who has excelled in their fields and is willing to learn more. But if you’re the only one who knows Korean, setting other factors equal, then you might have a slight chance to get the job for yourself.
Knowing Korean will allow you to have business with the local Korean business organizations, especially if they can’t converse properly in English. It is the advantage you have over those who don’t know how to speak the language.
6. Study In Korea
South Korea may not be an English-speaking country, but their universities are well-known internationally, ranging from different fields of study. These include a wide range of science degrees, business degrees, etc. That said, you might want to consider studying in Korea if you intend to pursue finishing a degree abroad.
However, you must learn how to speak Korean before studying abroad. It will help you talk to students, professors, and locals, as it allows you to understand everyone around you.
Furthermore, if you want to test your proficiency in Korean, you may take the TOPIK test. This test can also be an additional requirement since Korea is not an English-speaking country.
Final Words
Korean is among the most beautiful languages you can ever hear, with its unique tone and fascinating words. And with the dawn of Korean pop culture, people are intrigued to study this language.
Learning Korean is one of the best things you can achieve in life. It opens a different realm of opportunities and possibilities, especially when you want to work or study in Korea. Also, it’s a good language to learn if you’re planning to study Chinese and Japanese due to their historical interrelatedness.
However, mastering Korean will not be as easy as you think. You need a good amount of motivation and patience to succeed. But with perseverance, you’ll eventually learn the language.