Localize into Korean

Translate your app into 한국어

Korean · ~80M native speakers

South Korea has one of the most connected, mobile-first and high-spending consumer populations on Earth, with category-leading app and gaming markets. Korean users expect polished, native-feeling products — and Korean culture's global reach (K-pop, K-drama, gaming) means Korean localization also unlocks an enthusiastic international audience.

Where it's spoken

Korean around the world

Korean is spoken by ~80m native speakers. It is used as an official or working language across 2+ countries and territories.

East Asia
Countries and territories
  • South Korea
  • North Korea
Why it pays off

What you gain from a Korean locale

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Top-tier mobile and gaming market

South Korea is consistently in the global top 5 for mobile-app revenue and one of the largest gaming economies per capita.

Fast adopters of new tech

Korean consumers adopt new product categories faster than almost any market — a hit in Korea often signals global potential.

Cultural export tailwind

Global K-content fandoms create organic international demand for Korean-language UIs beyond Korea itself.

How to start

Shipping Korean on Localize.to

1
Create a ko target language

One ko locale covers the entire market. North Korea is not a viable commercial audience — ignore any ko-KP distinction.

2
Import source and ship Hangul-capable fonts

Use Noto Sans KR, Pretendard, or Apple SD Gothic Neo. Latin-only webfonts render Hangul as boxes — always include CJK fallbacks.

3
Translate with a native — honorifics matter

Korean has multiple politeness levels. Consumer apps typically use 해요체 (haeyo-che, polite conversational); formal/enterprise leans on 합쇼체 (hapsho-che). Pick one and apply uniformly.

4
Test tight layouts

Korean strings tend to be compact but wrap differently from Latin text. Test list rows, cards and buttons with real Korean content.

Common questions

Which politeness level should I use?

Polite conversational form (해요체) is the safe default for consumer products. Enterprise and formal contexts use 합쇼체. Avoid casual 반말 in UI.

How well does MT work for Korean?

Modern MT handles grammar well but frequently misses tone and honorific level. Always have a native review — Korean users are quick to spot "translated software" and disengage.

Do I need to worry about Chinese characters (Hanja)?

Almost never in UI. Modern Korean writing is Hangul-only for apps, websites and SaaS.

Ready to reach 한국어 speakers?

Create a project, add Korean as a target language, and ship your first localized build today.

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