The Korean language is experiencing an unprecedented global surge as people worldwide incorporate Korean words and phrases into their daily conversations, moving beyond simple place names or food terms to embrace the language itself in everyday speech. This linguistic phenomenon reflects how deeply Korean culture has penetrated international communities, transforming from a once-distant language to a symbol of sophistication and cultural appeal.
From Broadway stages to London storefronts, Korean expressions are becoming increasingly visible in global spaces. The original Korean musical "Maybe Happy Ending" features Korean words like Seoul, Jeju, and even "hwabun" (flowerpot), which serves as a key prop in the production. In London, businesses now display Korean welcome signs to attract customers, while a German beauty brand inspired by K-beauty culture chose the name "Yepoda" after the Korean word meaning "pretty."
The growing interest in Korean language parallels the expanding influence of Korean pop culture, with recent achievements like Han Kang receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature further elevating Korea's global cultural status. This linguistic pride resonates in songs like "Golden," the original soundtrack from Netflix's "K-pop Demon Hunters," where the message of resilience mirrors the global ascent of the Korean language itself – once viewed as obscure, now radiating universal appeal.
Noma Hideki, a former professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, has witnessed this dramatic transformation firsthand. "Recently, I heard someone say her son now proudly calls his mother in Korean in front of his friends to show off that she's Korean," Noma observed. "The times have truly changed." He contrasts this with attitudes from two decades ago, when Korean identity was often hidden rather than celebrated.
"Back then, I met children who told their Korean mothers not to visit their schools because they were embarrassed," Noma recalled. "When I said I studied Korean, people used to ask, 'Why Korean?' Now they say, 'You speak Korean? That's so cool!'" According to Noma, public perception of Korean has evolved dramatically from an unknown, distant language to something sophisticated and attractive.
Noma, renowned for his research into Korean's phonetic uniqueness, attributes much of the language's appeal to its distinctive sound structure. He points out that Korean's tense (doubled) consonants give the language a unique rhythm and intensity that sets it apart from other languages. "These sounds create a tension in the vocal organs that gives Korean a striking auditory quality," he explained, noting that K-pop artists consciously utilize these tense consonants to produce songs with remarkable power and precision.
The multilingual nature of K-pop also contributes to Korean's global appeal, with English and Korean naturally coexisting in song lyrics. "Even in a song like 'Golden,' where Korean appears only briefly, its linguistic richness changes the tone and texture of the music," Noma said. He also highlighted Korea's abundance of onomatopoeia and mimetic words as another distinguishing factor, citing BLACKPINK's "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" – with more than 2.3 billion views – as possibly "the world's most famous new onomatopoeia."
Across the Pacific, Dafna Zur, a professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University, has observed similar trends in North America. "Words like kimchi, bulgogi, eomma (mom) and oppa (older brother) are already in the Oxford English Dictionary," she noted. This mainstream acceptance represents a significant shift from three decades ago, when "translators had to fill Korean novels with explanatory footnotes. Now they don't."
Zur directs the Korean Language Village in Minnesota, where students aged 7 to 18 immerse themselves in Korean language, history, and culture. The impact of contemporary Korean media remains strong among participants. "This year, the impact of 'K-pop Demon Hunters' was huge," she said. "Students begged to watch it twice during movie night." Her program consistently attracts interest, with space for 120 students and more than 50 already registered for next summer.
Statistical evidence supports these anecdotal observations about Korean's rising popularity. According to the Modern Language Association, while total foreign language enrollments in North America declined by 16.6 percent by 2021, Korean enrollments increased by 38.3 percent during the same period. "Korean is the only foreign language in the U.S. that continues to grow," Zur emphasized, highlighting the language's unique position in American education.
However, both scholars warn that inadequate infrastructure threatens the sustainability of this growth. Noma stressed the need for diversified educational approaches, explaining that "you can't teach Korean to English speakers in the same way you teach it to Japanese or Chinese learners." He advocates for programs that reflect learners' native languages and cultural backgrounds rather than relying on standardized models.
Zur echoed these concerns about institutional support, noting that "language is a shared asset that gains value as more people use it." She criticized Korea's current approach, stating that "Korea needs to seize the moment – but it's acting as if it's someone else's job." Zur calls for substantially increased government funding, particularly for the Korea Foundation, the primary agency supporting Korean education abroad, suggesting its budget should be "doubled or tripled."
The lack of advanced Korean study opportunities presents another challenge. Zur pointed out that only one center in Korea – the Inter-University Center for Korean Language Studies at Sungkyunkwan University – offers academic-level Korean instruction. She contrasts this with Japan's approach, noting that "Japan established similar institutions 60 years ago, producing professionals proficient in Japanese across research, business and non-profit fields."
Looking toward the future, Zur advocates for a fundamental shift in how Korean language education is conceptualized globally. "Overseas Korean education should now focus on Korean as a post-national language," she argued. "Rather than treating Korean culture as an export product and students as mere consumers, we should view them as partners who share and learn the culture together, and continue to support them accordingly." This partnership approach could help sustain Korean's global momentum while building lasting cultural bridges between Korea and the international community.
