K-Hangul Multilingual Expansion Project

Project Plan and Mid- to Long-Term Roadmap (2016–2027)

1. Project Overview

K-Hangul is a project that produces and distributes language-specific textbooks and e-books so that overseas Koreans and foreign learners can learn Hangul through their native languages. Since the project began in 2016, the target languages have been expanded each year. As of 2025, textbooks in 22 languages have been published, and a total of 38 additional languages are scheduled for publication in 2026–2027.

2. Background and Need

• With the global spread of the Korean Wave (K-Culture), demand for learning Korean and Hangul is rapidly increasing worldwide.

• Learning materials that rely on intermediary languages such as English can create barriers for learners whose native languages are different.

• The supply of native-language-based Hangul textbooks for children of overseas Koreans and immigrants has been limited.

• There is a need to ensure equitable access to learning by expanding support beyond major language groups to include minority-language communities.

3. Vision and Goals

Vision: "Learn Hangul in one’s own language, in every language community around the world."

• Goal 1: Complete a system of Hangul learning textbooks and e-books in a cumulative total of 60 languages by 2027.

• Goal 2: Expand sequentially from major language groups to minority and local languages after prioritizing major language markets.

• Goal 3: Achieve balanced coverage of areas with large overseas Korean communities and emerging regions where the Korean Wave is spreading.

• Goal 4: Secure simultaneous access to offline and online learning through dual distribution of textbooks and e-books.

4. Annual Implementation Roadmap

Compared with the publication of 22 languages over the 10-year period from 2016 to 2025, the publication pace is expected to accelerate significantly from 2026, reaching approximately 18–20 languages per year. This demonstrates the strategic expansion of the project from targeting major and widely used languages in its early stages to targeting more geographically segmented and minority-language communities in later stages.

Roadmap

Phase 1 (Completed) | 2016–2025 | 22 languages | 

Major East Asian and European countries and regions with large overseas Korean communities (Vietnamese, Mongolian, Japanese, Chinese, English-speaking, Arabic-speaking regions, etc.)

Phase 2 (Planned) | 2026 | 20 languages | 

Central Asia/CIS, South Asia, and emerging Korean Wave regions in Africa (Kazakh, Uzbek, Bengali, Swahili, Hausa, etc.)

Phase 3 (Planned) | 2027 | 18 languages | 

Eastern Europe, the Baltic states, the Caucasus, and minority-language communities in Southern Africa (Hebrew, Georgian, Armenian, Zulu, Somali, etc.)

5. Regional Expansion Strategy

Phase 1 (2016–2025) — Prioritizing Core Exchange Regions

Based on East Asian countries with large populations of overseas Koreans, international students, and migrant workers (Vietnam, Mongolia, Japan, and China), as well as internationally used languages (English, Spanish, French, Arabic, etc.), the project established its foundation.

Phase 2 (2026) — Expanding into Emerging Regions in Central Asia, South Asia, and Africa

The project will expand into the CIS region, where many overseas Koreans such as Koryo-in communities reside (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan), as well as South Asia (Bengali and Urdu) and Africa (Swahili and Hausa), where the Korean Wave is newly gaining momentum.

Phase 3 (2027) — Detailed Expansion into European Minority Languages and Southern Africa

The project will further expand into relatively underserved minority-language communities, including the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan), and Southern Africa (Zulu, Somali, and Luganda), thereby enhancing the completeness of the project.

6. Detailed Language List by Year

Phase 1 (Published, 2016–2025) — 22 languages

1. Vietnamese  2. Mongolian  3. Japanese  4. Spanish (European Union)  5. French  6. Russian

7. Chinese  8. German  9. Hindi  10. Thai  11. Portuguese  12. Arabic

13. Persian  14. Turkish  15. Spanish (South America)  16. English (Revised 2nd Edition)  17. Indonesian  18. Italian

19. Nepali  20. Lao  21. Khmer (Cambodian)  22. Burmese (Myanmar)

Phase 2 (Planned for 2026) — 20 languages

1. Polish  2. Kazakh  3. Uzbek  4. Bengali (Bangladesh)  5. Kyrgyz  6. Urdu (Pakistan)

7. Swahili (Tanzania)  8. Hausa (Nigeria)  9. Greek  10. Filipino  11. Czech  12. Romanian

13. Malay (Malaysia)  14. Danish  15. Hungarian  16. Sinhala (Sri Lanka)  17. Tetum (Timor-Leste)  18. Dutch

19. Swedish  20. Ukrainian

Phase 3 (Planned for 2027) — 18 languages

1. Amharic (Ethiopia)  2. Hebrew (Israel)  3. Georgian  4. Armenian  5. Finnish  6. Norwegian

7. Serbian  8. Croatian  9. Slovak  10. Somali  11. Estonian  12. Latvian

13. Lithuanian  14. Luganda  15. Zulu (South Africa)  16. Bulgarian  17. Albanian  18. Azerbaijani

7. Expected Outcomes

• Provide a native-language-based Hangul learning environment for learners across 60 language communities worldwide.

• Strengthen overseas Korean identity and the infrastructure for next-generation Hangul education.

• Expand the base of Korean-language learning in emerging Korean Wave regions such as Central Asia and Africa.

• Establish a foundation for future integration with digital learning platforms (apps and online courses) by securing customized textbooks for each country.

8. Recommendations for the Future

• Roadmap after 2028: Sequentially consider unpublished UN official languages and remaining minority-language communities (e.g., Southeast Asian and Pacific island countries).

• Consider expanding integration with mobile apps and online learning content beyond textbook-centered education.

• Introduce a language-specific learning outcomes measurement system (number of users, course completion rates, etc.) to verify project effectiveness.

• Expand distribution by establishing cooperative distribution networks with local Korean Education Centers and related institutions.