Learning Korean as an Adult: It's More Like Music Than Math with Euijin Seo

What if learning Korean had less to do with memorizing grammar and more to do with listening?

In this episode, I talk with Euijin Seo, my own Korean language teacher, about why learning a new language as an adult can be easier when you focus on sound, rhythm, and patterns rather than trying to memorize every rule.

Euijin knows this firsthand. He struggled with English in school but began making progress while serving in the Korean military, using a small radio and a couple of books to teach himself. Today, he teaches Korean through Good Job Korean and has developed Pagerun, a reading app designed to help people collect and share the passages that inspire them.

We also go beyond language lessons to explore what life in Korea is really like.

We talk about Seoul's neighborhood culture, why cafés and PC bangs serve as important third places, and what Korean dating show I Am Solo reveals about the country's fascination with education, careers, and social status.

Euijin also shares his perspective on school bullying, the challenges facing Korean entrepreneurs, and why traditional professions like medicine are often viewed differently from starting your own business.

And there's a personal surprise: while learning Hangul, I began to recognize something about my own relationship with language and discovered that dyslexia might explain some of the challenges I'd experienced.

Whether you're planning a trip to Korea, learning Korean, fascinated by K-dramas, or simply curious about another culture, this conversation offers plenty to think about.

Listen to the episode: Learning Korean, Spec Culture & What Seoul Values | Euijin Seo

Connect with Euijin:

• Instagram: @jinkorean

• Good Job Korean: Instagram

• Pagerun: pagerun.io

Want to learn more about Korea? Tune in and join the conversation.