Learning Korean is an exciting journey—but somewhere along the way, many learners ask for one thing: Romanization. While this request is understandable, it always leaves me feeling a little uneasy.
Why rely on the Roman alphabet when Hangul—the Korean writing system—is so brilliantly simple?
Yes, Romanized Korean does appear on Korean road signs and subway stations. These serve a functional purpose, helping tourists navigate their way without knowing a single Korean word. For travelers, it’s a handy reference.
But you’re not just a traveler. You’re someone who wants to understand Korean—not just get by in it.
Hangul Was Made For Korean
In the 15th century, King Sejong noticed a big problem: the Korean people had no native script. They were forced to use Chinese characters that didn’t truly match their language. His solution? Invent a writing system that reflected how Koreans actually spoke.
That’s how Hangul came to be. Every letter was created to represent real Korean sounds. It’s the only writing system scientifically designed to match the structure of its language.
You can’t get that kind of accuracy from Romanization—ever.
Pronunciation Matters, and Romanization Gets in the Way
Language is sound, and pronunciation is everything.
Here’s a personal example: When I was younger, I emailed a Japanese friend and wrote “jjang” after her name, thinking it was cute. But she was confused. I meant to say “-ちゃん” (chan), but Romanization created a mismatch. We were both hearing the same thing but writing it totally differently.
This kind of misunderstanding happens all the time when Romanization is used instead of learning native scripts. With Korean, if you want to sound natural and be understood, you need to read Korean sounds as they were meant to be read—in Hangul.
Hangul Is Insanely Easy to Learn
Let’s bust a myth: learning Korean is hard, but learning Hangul is not.
Hangul is one of the most logical and simple alphabets in the world. Many people pick it up in just a few hours. Some even manage to learn it during their flight to Korea!
It’s so intuitive that once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder why you ever relied on Romanization in the first place.
Real Progress Comes from Real Korean
I’ve met countless learners who’ve studied Korean for years but still struggle to communicate. Often, the missing link is proper reading. The moment they start reading Hangul confidently, their pronunciation, rhythm, and understanding all click into place.
Romanization is like training wheels that eventually hold you back. If you want to ride freely, you have to let them go.
If you haven’t mastered Hangul yet—or feel unsure about your Korean pronunciation—I highly recommend trying the Podo Korean app. It’s packed with structured lessons that mirror what I’ve used with my students for years.
You’re more than capable of learning Hangul. And once you do, a whole new world of Korean will open up for you.
