Learn Korean with short stories
Read 5 free graded stories in Korean, written in simple Hangul for beginners, right in your browser. Tap any word for its meaning in context, listen while you read, and save new words. No sign-up, no install, works on any phone.
Stories in Korean
How it works
Story-based Korean courses are some of the best out there, and most of them are paid: Talk To Me In Korean's Stories subscription runs $79.99 a year. oqou's Korean starter stories are free, written in Hangul you can read within your first weeks of study. And since Duolingo Stories never added Korean, this is one of the few places online to practice Korean through stories without paying first.
Common questions
What level of Korean are these stories?
They are written for beginners: short sentences, everyday vocabulary, and familiar scenes like a market morning. If you can sound out Hangul, you can start.
Do I need to read Hangul first?
Yes, the stories are in Hangul without romanization. Hangul takes only a few hours to learn, and reading real words in real stories is exactly how it becomes automatic.
Is the Korean reader really free?
Yes. The browser reader is completely free, with no account, no sign-up and no time limit. It is a free taste of the full oqou app for iPhone and iPad.
How does this compare to TTMIK's story courses?
Talk To Me In Korean offers a much larger structured library, and it is paid: their Stories plan is $79.99 a year. oqou's web reader is a free place to start reading Korean today, and the oqou iOS app lets you import any Korean text you like.
Can I listen to the stories in Korean?
Yes, every story can be read aloud with follow-along highlighting. Whether a Korean voice is available, and how natural it sounds, depends on your browser and device.
Read your own books this way, in the oqou app for iPhone and iPad.