If you have no idea where to start with this sentence, would you believe me if I said you'd be able to read it in a matter of minutes? Now don't get me wrong, you may not know what it means, but you will be able to read it out loud with a little help from the following 4 sources.
The good news is, Hangeul* is one of the easiest alphabets to learn. Being relatively modern in the world of languages, its scientific approach and symbol relationships were well thought out. Many programs claim you can learn it in under an hour. Correct pronunciation will take practice, but you'll have the basics down and be reading and writing in no time.
Today's reviews are free online sources to learn to read and write Hangeul. We will be reviewing as follows:
- User Friendly
- Fast Track vs. In Depth
- Free vs. Fee

I wasn't disappointed. Ryan Estrada created 8 frames of delightful webtoon that introduces the Korean Alphabet in an entertaining and easily understood way.
No matter what your goal is, this is a fast track, confidence building intro to reading and writing Hangeul.
Overall review: Very easy to use. In 15 minutes, you will have a wonderful intro to the Korean Alphabet and it's totally free. I recommend this as a first step for absolute beginners. It's just fun!

There are three sections:
First, Get Ready includes an intro to program, the History of King Sejong's creation of Hangeul, Fun Facts and the Oriental Philosophy of Hangeul.
Second, Get Started teaches consonant, vowels, and the harmony of bringing it all together. You will learn the symbols in "families". A lot of information is packed into the flashcard sized boxes.
Third, Get Comfortable gives you practice, Hangeul Chart, a Cheat Sheet and links to other sources.
Overall r eview: Simple click and go navigation. My only complaint is that once you get into a section, there is no way to toggle to other sections. You have to use the back button multiple times. The compact information within the lessons can be taken in at a glance without having to scroll. The 30 minute investment here will give you not only the mechanics of writing and phonics, it will also give you the history and philosophy behind the creation of the characters. Free from fees and membership.
Hangeul was first introduced in 1446 bu t not commonly used until about 500 years later.
--Charm Lee's Beginner Korean Class - Hangeul Quick Facts

Overall review: Very easy to navigate without scrolling. All parts of the instruction are tabbed. For the competitive types, there is a timer. (I never figured out what it was for, but you might!) There are no cute pictures like the first two sites, but this is a comprehensive program that will give you detailed instruction in the Korean Alphabet. This is free. It does require entering your email to use app, but I have yet to receive anything from this. Fee services are offered from this website for 1:1 instruction using Korean textbooks designed by Kunkook University which have no English for an immersive environment.
Due to the difficulty in reading Chinese characters, the literacy rate before Hangeul was a mere 5%. Now, the literacy rate in both North and South Korea stands at about 99%.
--Charm Lee's Beginner Korean Class - Hangeul Quick Facts

Overall review: The layout is typical Wiki format. It includes written instruction with audio samples. Click and go navigation. This is a free collaborative project. (Also on Wiki, encyclopedia coverage here.)
by Melodie Everson
Determined Korean Language Learner
** disclaimer - to those of you more advanced in Korean, this is an attempt of a level two dropout with the help of google translate to say "So, you want to learn Hangeul?". If you have a better translation, please submit in the comments. Thank you Park for the update!