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Languages

Languages of South Korea

SeoulLocal time

Languages, writing systems and language context

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COUNTRY LANGUAGE PROFILE
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Korean
Text direction: LTR

Korean is the official language of the Republic of Korea, and Hangul is the Korean alphabet. The Framework Act on Korean Language defines both terms directly.

1
Core language shown
Country-level reference set
Korean
First listed core language
Not a speaker-share estimate
1
Writing system represented
Across the core language set
LTR
Primary text direction
Additional directions noted below

Language Overview

Korean

Read the Characters

Korean Β· 24 characters

Korean Β· 24 characters
γ„±
g/k
γ„΄
n
γ„·
d/t
γ„Ή
r/l
ㅁ
m
γ…‚
b/p
γ……
s
γ…‡
ng
γ…ˆ
j
γ…Š
ch
γ…‹
k
γ…Œ
t
ㅍ
p
γ…Ž
h
ㅏ
a
γ…‘
ya
γ…“
eo
γ…•
yeo
γ…—
o
γ…›
yo
γ…œ
u
γ… 
yu
γ…‘
eu
γ…£
i

How to Read the Language Landscape

PolicyLegal and administrative language status may differ between national and subnational government.
Everyday useA language can be socially dominant without being the only language used at home, school, work or in media.
Community diversityIndigenous, minority, migrant and sign languages can remain important even when they are not part of a short national headline list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What languages are used in South Korea?

Korean is the official language of the Republic of Korea, and Hangul is the Korean alphabet. The Framework Act on Korean Language defines both terms directly.

What writing systems are used in South Korea?

The represented writing system is Hangul and the primary direction shown is left to right.

More about South Korea

Explore South Korea across the other DigifyWorld country-data sections.

Public HolidaysPublic holidays 2026 and 2027→Digital AdoptionInternet, payments and digital government→Population & DemographicsPopulation, age structure and projections→Economy SnapshotGDP, trade and economic structure→Currency & ExchangeCurrency, exchange rates and money→Human DevelopmentHDI and quality-of-life indicators→Geography & EnvironmentLand, climate and environment→Practical Country InfoTime, driving, electricity and codes→EducationSchool system and education data→

Sources & methodology

View sources used for this page
Korean Law Information Center: Framework Act on Korean Language

Official legal database. Article 3 defines Korean as the official language of the Republic of Korea and Hangul as its alphabet.

Unicode CLDR: Country/Region Names

Localized country display-name reference. CLDR names are customary UI/display names, not claims about a state’s full constitutional long-form name.

Unicode: Supported Scripts

Reference for the writing-system/script families represented in the character component.

Unicode: Writing Direction and Bidirectional Text

Reference for left-to-right and right-to-left script direction and bidirectional text behavior.

Unicode Character Database: NamesList

Reference for Unicode character names used as small readout labels under selected character samples; these labels are not presented as a complete transliteration standard.