by Olly RichardsIf you want to learn Korean, besides watching K-dramas and Korean language films, listening to Korean language podcasts can be a great way of training your ear to get used to the sounds of Korean.
Don’t worry if you don’t know where to begin, because in this article I'm going to introduce you to eleven of the best podcasts for Korean learners!
Get ready to learn Korean with podcasts!
Pro Tip
By the way, if you want to learn Korean fast and have fun while doing it, my top recommendation is Korean Uncovered which teaches you through my fun, unique and effective StoryLearning® method.
If you’re ready to get started, click here for a 7-day FREE trial.
Learn Korean With Podcasts: Korean Podcasts For All Levels
1. Talk to Me in Korean
Whether your Korean level is beginner, intermediate, or advanced, the Talk to me in Korean (TTMIK) podcasts have something for everyone!
TTMIK started in 2009, and since then has expanded considerably to offer a variety of both free and paid material for Korean learners around the globe.
The courses on the site cover pretty much every aspect of the Korean language, including
- content for absolute beginners
- comprehensive content on Korean verbs (with all the conjugations in Korean you’ll want to check that out)
- Korean grammar particles
- and essential Korean phrases that’ll have you sounding like a local.
The classes also provide valuable insight into Korean culture and society. All the content can be accessed from the TTMIK website, making it easily accessible wherever you are.
You can also download the transcripts for each lesson so you can practice your reading and listening skills at the same time!
With such a range of material to practice writing, speaking, and listening, if you’re just getting into Korean podcasts, TTMIK is a great place to start.
2. Learn Korean With David
Learn Korean with David is another podcast that is accessible on Spotify and has tonnes of different episodes covering a wide range of material.
So it's especially useful for boosting your Korean vocabulary, as well as knowledge of Korean culture and society.
The pacing of the podcast is slow, and there are often multiple episodes on a single topic. For example, there's one entire episode dedicated to how you can express tiredness (and when to use the right word in Korean!)
For this reason, Learn Korean with David can suit Korean learners from beginner right up to advanced, as there is always something new to learn.
And the explanations are helpful in ensuring that you don’t make the same mistakes again no matter your level!
3. Korean Unnie
Korean Unnie is more of a language learning community than a podcast, but the content is highly useful for learners of all levels.
Most of the content is accessible on YouTube, and is presented in both English and Korean.
The content is engaging and accessible and provides insight into not just classic topics such as learning Korean numbers and colours, but also touches on more contemporary issues such as Korean slang.
Korean Podcasts For Beginners
4. KoreanClass101
KoreanClass101 is the Korean language offshoot of the popular language learning podcast series, Pod101.
Although KoreanClass101 has some free worksheets and other tools for beginner learners, most of the content is accessible through a paid monthly subscription.
If you do opt in for a KoreanClass101 subscription, the benefits that you receive can be well worth it.
Most of the content is audio based, so if you’re looking to do more reading and writing practice, this might not be the resource for you.
The podcast has over 1,500 audio and visual courses, as well as dialogues, flashcards, and other accessible content.
KoreanClass101 is mostly geared towards absolute beginner to those learners transitioning to the intermediate level. So if you’re a more advanced learner, it might be better to look at other podcasts on this list.
5. Let’s Learn Korean
Let’s Learn Korean is an online audio-based podcast published by the Korean company KBS World Radio.
Again, the content of the podcast is mostly geared towards those who are living in Korea/looking to live in Korea, but don’t let that put you off!
Whether you live there or not, much of the content covered will be useful in your Korean language learning journey.
What’s more, the content is not just geared towards English speakers, as there is content for speakers of Chinese, Arabic, French, German, Indonesian, German, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
For this reason, this podcast is especially useful for Korean learners who may speak a language other than English as their home tongue.
The learning material is divided into three distinct sections: Understanding the Korean Language, Upon Arrival in Korea, and Living in Korea, with 30 chapters in total across all the sections.
For this reason, it provides a very comprehensive beginning exposure to the Korean language, allowing you to go at your own pace and revisit content. Better suited to beginners than intermediate or advanced learners.
6. Hangugeo Con AngDuck For Beginners
Another podcast that is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, this is a podcast that is firmly marketed towards beginner Korean learners.
Unlike some of the other podcasts featured above, there is no English used.
So although it's for beginners, I wouldn't recommend this if you were not yet comfortable to listening to Korean!
Despite that, if you’re a beginner and looking to take the leap, this is a great place to start. The podcast covers a lot of basic level material, such as asking what country people are from, describing your favourite food, and how old you are.
Korean Podcasts For Intermediate Learners
7. SpongeMind Podcast
Next up on the list is the SpongeMind podcast, which you can find on Soundcloud.
Like TTMIK, the content is easily accessible, and transcripts can be downloaded so you can also practice your Korean reading skills as you listen.
SpongeMind is run by native English speaker Jeremy, and native Korean speaker Jonson. It's bilingual podcast that doesn’t just focus on language skills, but also introduces current affairs and Korean popular culture.
Recent episodes discuss the popularity of K-pop group BTS. For this reason, it’s known as one of the best Korean language learning podcasts out there!
The episodes vary in length, and some episodes feature individuals who, like you, are also learning Korean! For this reason, SpongeMind is highly recommended for those who might be looking for any tips or advice from others who are learning Korean.
The podcast also features plenty of practical advice on language learning in general, which can be very helpful for beginners.
The podcast is clear and not too fast, and due to being bilingual, can be especially useful for those getting to grips with the sounds of Korean, especially those who are already at the intermediate level. The content is also entirely free to access.
8. Let’s Learn Korean With K-Mama
The next podcast on the list is one that can be accessed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Currently, there are over 100 episodes, so there is plenty of content to get through!
There are links to transcripts, so don’t worry if you find it difficult to follow. The podcast is very comprehensive and assumes no prior knowledge of Korean.
Despite this, there is content that is useful for beginner to intermediate learners of Korean, as the podcast covers a wide range of topics.
In the first few episodes of the podcast, you can learn about the Korean honorific system, how to get your hair cut, how to see a doctor, and the colours.
Although this information is very useful if you’re already living in Korea, it might not be as helpful if you’re outside of Korea.
The podcast is very slow, and the teacher uses lots of repetition. So this podcast can be especially helpful for beginners looking to transition to the intermediate level due to the introduction of Korean grammar.
Korean Podcasts For Advanced Learners
9. Talk To Me 100% In Korean
From the team that brought us TTMIK, Talk to me 100% in Korean is a podcast for advanced learners.
This podcast features dialogues that are paced at the level of a real-life Korean conversation.
That's why this podcast is better suited for learners who already have a level of confidence in their Korean listening skills.
As the podcast features real-life dialogues between two Korean speakers, it's a great way for more advanced learners to ensure that they can follow conversations in a more natural way.
If listening to a podcast entirely in Korean sounds daunting, don’t worry! As with all TTMIK content, you can download transcripts.
10. Hangugeo Con AngDuck
Hangugeo con AngDuck is the version of the podcast mentioned above for more advanced learners of the Korean language.
Depending on the complexity of the topics mentioned on the podcast, the difficulty of the content increments.
The hosts talk about a variety of different topics with each episode lasting around 20 minutes each.
The podcast is a great way of listening to natural conversation and picking up vocabulary that is used in real-life Korean conversations.
The podcast also introduces you to current affairs in Korean society, as well as key cultural information.
11. Podbbang
This is not the name of a specific podcast, but the name of a Korean site that hosts podcasts by Korean locals on a variety of different topics.
This is one that is firmly reserved for advanced speakers, as the site is in Korean and therefore language skills are required to navigate to podcasts of interest.
Topics include sports, current affairs, entertainment, and movies, making it possible to enjoy whichever topic you’re interested in!
There's even a podcast by the famous comedian Kim Sook, which means you can fully immerse yourself in Korean culture and society with the help of celebrities.
How To Learn Korean With Podcasts
There are several benefits to using podcasts on your Korean language learning journey.
They can expose you to real-life, naturally occurring language patterns to help you speak like a local, as well as introduce you to words and phrases that may not be taught in Korean textbooks.
A further benefit of using podcasts as a learning tool is that many provide transcripts as well as audio, meaning that you can train reading, listening, and speaking all at the same time.
All that's left for you to do is to pick one of the podcasts from this list, put your headphones in and learn Korean with podcasts!
