The Korean alphabet, hangeul, is one of the most incredible linguistic creations in the world. It was invented by King Sejong (reigned 1418-1450), the fourth King of the Joseon Dynasty, as a solution for eliminating illiteracy on the Korean peninsula. In King Sejong’s own words, hangeul is an alphabet that “A wise man can acquaint himself with them before the morning is over.” From today’s perspective, the design of hangeul reveals the incredible knowledge and understanding King Sejong had of Phonetics and Phonology back in the 15th century, despite the knowledge having only been formalised into academic disciplines in the last century.
In this course, we will explore how hanguel works as a writing system, and have you become a competent “decoder” of the Korean script by the end of the week. To fast-track your learning, we will explore basic concepts in Phonetics and Phonology, which are useful and beneficial for mastering any language.
With your newfound skills in hangeul reading, we will learn some basic Korean greetings, as well as those much-loved expressions commonly found in K-Pop and K-Drama. Having the ability to read hangeul means you will be ready to undertake any beginner communicative Korean course after this summer program.
This course is pitched at Year 9-12 students interested in the Korean language or languages generally. Please note, students are expected to do 20 minutes of follow up work after class each day.
Who is this program for?
This program is open to students studying Years 9-12 in 2026 across Australia.
When does this program take place?
This program takes place from Monday, 12 January 2026 – Thursday, 15 January 2026.
How much does this program cost?
This course costs $600.
Fees are payable in full at the time of registration.
