by Seolhwa

Hello, fellow Korean learners! I know learning Korean in a more fun way is a goal of some of you so I thought that today I will share how I make learning Korean fun: by reading novels in Korean.

Now you may say: How can I read novels in Korean if my level is not that good? It’s totally possible no matter your level in the language!

The secret is to start from easy books and take it slowly. Start with a graded reader and then pick up a book for natives. Start with 1 page a day, then 2, then 5. Use the dictionary while reading at the start until you get comfortable with reading without it.

I prepared a list of books for you in order of difficulty (from my own opinion):

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Graded Readers, Save me!

Yonsei Korean Graded Readers (연세 한국어 읽기)

Korean Stories For Language Learners

Easy Korean Reading For Beginners by TalkToMeInKorean

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Just starting, but I still want to read something

With short sentences, everyday vocabulary, lots of emotional repetition, they are very learner-friendly. Most of them are essay-style and slice-of-life and really easy to read.

모든 순간이 너였다 by 하태완

죽고 싶지만 떡볶이를 먹고 싶어 by 백세희

나는 나로 살기로 했다 by 김수현

고양이와 할아버지 by 네코마키 (Japanese manga translated into Korean)

불편한 편의점 by 김호연

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I AM starting to get better, I should increase the difficulty

These have more description, emotional nuance and some symbolism, but are still very readable.

아몬드 by 손원평

구의 증명 by 최진영

어느 날, 내 죽음에 네가 들어왔다 by 세이카 료겐 (Japanese novel translated into Korean)

너를 기다리고 있어 by 김보영

지구 끝의 온실 and other 김초엽 novels

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Ok, Let’s get to the boss level

If you got to this level, I congratulate you. Heavy metaphors and emotionally intense language make these books a real challenge.

소년이 온다 and any other 한강 novels

파친코 by 이민진

저주 토끼 by 정보라

붉은 궁 by 허주은

쇼코의 미소 by 최은영

한국이 싫어서 by 장강명

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Conclusion

No matter what level of Korean you have right now, you can start reading books in Korean anytime. Take your time. Even if it takes a month or a year, finishing a book in a foreign language is still an achievement. Don’t be afraid and just pick up your first book!