The Korean language is spoken by over 75 million people in the world, including more than 51 million South Koreans and 25 million North Koreans. Learning Korean language communication skills is important for understanding more about these countries and their cultures, whether you’re interested in the latest Korean pop groups like BTS, Korean food like bibimbap, bulgogi, and kimchi, or want to visit the fast-paced, high-tech South Korean capital of Seoul.
Korean can also be an important language for pursuing business opportunities. According to the World Bank, South Korea has a GDP of over $1 trillion, led by major global industrial conglomerates (called chaebols) such as Samsung, Hyundai, and LG that are some of the largest and most successful companies in the world. North Korea, by contrast, currently has a closed economy with extremely limited business opportunities for foreigners; however, this could change in the future and make Korean language skills an even more valuable asset.