Korean Language Program Resources

COMPILED BY JIHAE (JULIA) CHUN, KOREA STUDIES LIBRARIAN

UPDATED: January 18, 2023

Welcome

Welcome

"Lost In Translation" by Alfonso is licensed under CC by 2.0
 

This guide is created to support learners in the Korean language program at University of Toronto (U of T). 

Ask a Librarian for Help

For any questions or comments, please contact Jihae (Julia) Chun, Korea Studies Librarian at the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library.

photo of librarian
Jihae (Julia) Chun - Korean Studies Librarian
Email: Julia.chun@utoronto.ca
Phone: 416-978-3805
Office: EAL RM 8049D (8th floor)
Fax: 416-978-0863

Table of Contents 

  1. Reference Sources
    • Dictionaries & Encyclopaedias
      • Web-based Dictionaries 
      • Korean Language Dictionaries
      • Korean Dictionaries with Pictures and Illustrations
      • Korean Dictionaries for Idioms, Pronunciations, etc.
      • Encyclopedias
    • Handbooks & Others
  2. Books
    • Conversation, Phrase Books & Usage
    • Grammar, Phonology, Pronunciation, Reading, Writings, Orthography and Spelling
    • Korean Romanization Systems:
      • Korean Romanization System in Canada and U.S.A.
      • Korean Romanization System in the Republic of Korea
    • Textbooks for Foreign Speakers
      • TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) Books
  3. Periodicals
    • Journal Databases
    • Online Journals and Magazines
    • Newspapers
  4. Other Web Resources
    • Downloadable Apps
    • Associations & Organizations

1. Reference Sources

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

  • 한국어-영어 학습사전 (국립국어원) - National Institute of Korean Language’s Korean-English Learner’s Dictionary includes over 50,000 words in Korean and allows search by “Theme and Situation” such as “describing location”, “ordering food”, “purchasing goods” and etc.
     
  • Korean Picture Dictionary – contains more than 2000 photos and illustrations assigned to English definitions and Korean translations
     
  • 표준국어대사전 (국립국어원)– Korean dictionary built by the National Institute of Korean Language. 
  • 한국속담사전 – Krpia resource

    • Connect to KRpia (Log into University of Toronto Libraries Catalogue with your UTORid first to access this database)
    • In search bar, type in “한국속담사전”
    • View the dictionary

 

  • Korean picture dictionary
    Call number: PL939 .K234 2006                         EAST ASIAN LIBRARY STACKS
    Audio Visual: PL939 .K234 2006 v.1-2               INQUIRE AT THE EAL CIRCULATION
  • 한국 언어 문화 사전 = New millenium [i.e. millennium] dictionary of Korean language and culture : in English with colour illustrations / Hanʼguk ŏnŏ munhwa sajŏn
    Call number: PL937 .E5 S64 2003                      UTL DOWNSVIEW

 

 

  • KRpia [Korean]
    A large online database covering eight subject areas including large reference works in Korean studies. Students learning Korean may find the following dictionaries in KRpia helpful: “바른말글사전”, “우리말 발음사전”, “남북한말비교사전”, “한국학대백과사전”, “한국속담사전”, and “한국현대문학대사전.”
    Copy and paste these titles in KRpia search box to retrieve and view dictionaries.
  • Korea A2Z [Korean]
    A collection of 125 academic contents in a variety of subjects related to Korean Studies. The databases are arranged into 7 categories and include several Korean dictionaries. Korean language students may find the following resources useful: "겨레말 용례사전" and"국어어원사전."
  • History Culture Series [Korean]
    A multi-media content database dedicated to Korean history and culture. This database includes many downloadable images.

Handbooks & Others

 

2. Books

Conversation, Phrase Books & Usage

Grammar, Phonology, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, and Orthography and Spelling

  • 100명 중 98명 이 틀리는 한글 맞춤법. 3 : 한국어 사용자의 필수 특강 / 100-myŏng chung 98-myŏng i t'ŭllinŭn Han'gŭl match'umpŏp. 3
    Call number: PL917 .K56 2015                            EAST ASIAN LIBRARY STACKS

  • Selected readings in Korean
    Call number: PL913 .S64 2004                            EAST ASIAN LIBRARY STACKS

 

Korean Romanization Systems

  • Romanization of Korean (National Institute of Korean Language in Republic of Korea)
    Note that this is South Korean convention and it differs from the revised McCune-Reischauer Romanization system (ALA-LC) widely used in North American research institutions.
  • 국어 의 로마자 표기법 / Kugŏ ŭi romacha p'yogipŏp
    This book introduces the history of Korean Romanization in South Korea and discusses the Romanization’s purpose and usage.
    Call number: PL915.9 .C67 2015                   EAST ASIAN LIBRARY STACKS
  • 국어 의 로마자 표기법 (2000. 7. 7. 고시) 에 따른 로마자 표기 용례 사전. Kugŏ ŭi romacha pʻyogipŏp (2000. 7. 7. kosi) e ttarŭn romacha pʻyŏgi yŏngnye sajŏn.
    This books includes Romanization examples for ca. 8,000 Korean terms
    Call number: PL939 .K84 2000                      UTL DOWNSVIEW

 

Textbooks for Foreign Speakers

Search for Korean language textbooks by inserting the search phrase below in the LibrarySearch search bar:

Korean language -- Textbooks for foreign speakers -- English

Then limit the search filter to "books" to browse what textbooks are available at the library. Alternatively, look at the suggested textbooks below:

 

  • Hot TOPIK : for English : [actual test] 한 권 으로 합격 하기 / Hot TOPIK : for English : [actual test] han kwŏn ŭro hapkyŏk hagi
    Call number: PL913.7 .K674 2014(Books & CD-ROMs) EAL STACKS & AUDIO-VISUAL
  • Hot TOPIK : for Japanese : [actual test] 한 권 으로 합격 하기 / Hot TOPIK : for Japanese : [actual test] han kwŏn ŭro hapkyŏk hagi
    Call number: PL913.7 .K673 2014(Books & CD-ROMs) EAL STACKS & AUDIO-VISUAL
  • Hot TOPIK : for Chinese : [actual test] 한 권 으로 합격 하기 / Hot TOPIK : for Chinese : [actual test] han kwŏn ŭro hapkyŏk hagi
    Call number: PL913.7 .K672 2014(Books & CD-ROMs) EAL STACKS & AUDIO-VISUAL

 

3. Periodicals

Journal Databases

Click here for a full list of our article databases.

Online Journals and Magazines

Figure 1: Koreana, a quarterly on Korean culture and arts

  • Azalea [electronic resource]
    Published by the University of Hawaii Press, this academic journal aims to promote Korean literature among English-language readers and provides the academic community of Korean studies with well-translated texts for college classes.

Newspapers

All of our newspapers, plus suggested Korean language newspapers are found here: https://east.library.utoronto.ca/resource/korean-e-newspapers

 

4. Other Web Resources

Downloadable Apps

Naver Dictionary App:

Daum Dictionary App:

Associations & Organizations

National Institute of Korean Language [English]

The authority on Korean language development in the Republic of Korea. NIKL conducts research to develop language policies and provides useful Korean language resources. 

TalkToMeInKorean [English]
[https://www.youtube.com/user/talktomeinkorean/featured]
Provides YouTube video instructions for Korean language.

SEEMILE Korean Language [English]
[https://www.youtube.com/user/seemile/featured]
More Korean language instructions on YouTube.

Pusan National University's Urimal Paeumt'o [Korean]
[http://urimal.cs.pusan.ac.kr/urimal_new/]
Provides helpful information on Korean language and various links to dictionaries and Romanization guides.

The Korean Language Society = Han'gul Hakhoe [Korean]
[http://www.hangeul.or.kr/]
The society was founded on August 31st in 1908 by Si-gyong Chu, Chong-jin Kim and other renowned intellectuals of the day. Its achievements so far include publication of Great Dictionary, Great Dictionary of Korean Place Names, Great Dictionary of Our Language, Dictionary of Korean Studies, and The Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Korean Place Names. Currently, the society focuses on providing online information on the accurate usage of the Korean language based on its Data Bank of Korean Studies.

Korean Writing [English]
[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/korean.htm]
Introduces the origin of writing in Korea, notable features of Han'gul and the alphabet. Plus, many useful links on Korean language.

Han’gul Munhwa Yondae’s Urimal [Korean]
[http://www.urimal.org/]
Han’gul Munhwa Yondae is devoted to supporting Han’gul and increasing people’s awareness of Korean language.