From ‘Golden’ to ‘Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,’ Korean language finds new rhythm on global stage
Foreign visitors browse through T-shirts featuring Korean designs at a shop in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, Oct. 9. Yonhap
People around the world are integrating more and more Korean words and phrases into their daily vocabulary — not just the names of places or food, but using the language itself in everyday speech. The trend shows how deeply Korean culture has permeated global life.
On Broadway, the original Korean musical "Maybe Happy Ending" features Korean words like Seoul, Jeju and even hwabun (flowerpot), a key prop.
In London, signs welcoming customers in Korean hang on storefronts, while a German beauty brand inspired by K-beauty is named "Yepoda" after the Korean word for pretty.
As Korean pop culture continues to spread, interest in the Korean language has grown with it. With Korean culture gaining more prominence, such as Han Kang receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature, the dream of achieving global status like English, Spanish and French no longer seems far-fetched.
The essence of that linguistic and cultural pride can be heard in the lyrics of “Golden,” the original soundtrack of Netflix’s "KPop Demon Hunters." The song’s message of resilience echoes the global ascent of Korean itself — a language once seen as distant, now glowing with universal appeal.
“Recently, I heard someone say her son now proudly calls his mother in Korean in front of his friends to show off that she’s Korean,” said Noma Hideki, a former professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. “The times have truly changed.”
Two decades ago, that pride was rare. “Back then, I met children who told their Korean mothers not to visit their schools because they were embarrassed,” Noma said. “When I said I studied Korean, people used to ask, ‘Why Korean?’ Now they say, ‘You speak Korean? That’s so cool!’”
He said the perception of Korean has evolved “from an unknown, distant language to something sophisticated and attractive.”
Noma Hideki, former professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies / Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok
The sound and rhythm of Korean
Noma, known for his research into the phonetic uniqueness of Korean, pointed out that the language’s tense (doubled) consonants give it a distinct rhythm and intensity.
“These sounds create a tension in the vocal organs that gives Korean a striking auditory quality,” he said, adding that “K-pop artists consciously use these tense consonants to produce songs of remarkable power and precision.”
He added that K-pop’s strength also lies in its “multilingualism,” with English and Korean naturally coexisting in lyrics. “Even in a song like ‘Golden,’ where Korean appears only briefly, its linguistic richness changes the tone and texture of the music,” he said.
Korean’s abundance of onomatopoeia and mimetic words further distinguishes it from other languages. “BLACKPINK’s ‘Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,’ with more than 2.3 billion views, might be the world’s most famous new onomatopoeia,” Noma said.
He said that expanding Korean’s global reach depends on diversifying its education methods.
“You can’t teach Korean to English speakers in the same way you teach it to Japanese or Chinese learners,” he said. “Programs should reflect learners’ native languages and cultural backgrounds, not rely on a standardized model.”
Dafna Zur, professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University / Courtesy of Dafna Zur
Language learning on the rise
Across the Pacific, Dafna Zur, a professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University, has observed a similar surge. “Words like ‘kimchi,’ ‘bulgogi,’ ‘eomma’ (mom) and ‘oppa (older brother)’ are already in the Oxford English Dictionary,” she said. “Thirty years ago, translators had to fill Korean novels with explanatory footnotes. Now they don’t.”
Zur directs the Korean Language Village in Minnesota, where students aged 7 to 18 learn Korean language, history and culture. “This year, the impact of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ was huge,” she said. “Students begged to watch it twice during movie night.”
According to the Modern Language Association, while total foreign language enrollments in North America fell by 16.6 percent by 2021, Korean enrollments rose 38.3 percent.
“Korean is the only foreign language in the U.S. that continues to grow,” Zur said. “Our program has space for 120 students, and more than 50 have already signed up for next summer.”
Despite the surge in interest, both scholars warned that weak infrastructure threatens long-term growth. “Language is a shared asset that gains value as more people use it,” Zur said. “Korea needs to seize the moment — but it’s acting as if it’s someone else’s job.”
She called for greater government funding, noting that the Korea Foundation, the only agency supporting Korean education abroad, should see its budget "doubled or tripled."
Zur also highlighted the lack of institutions for studying advanced Korean. She said that only one center in Korea — the Inter-University Center for Korean Language Studies at Sungkyunkwan University — offers academic-level Korean.
She said that Japan established similar institutions 60 years ago, producing professionals proficient in Japanese across research, business and non-profit fields.
“Overseas Korean education should now focus on Korean as a ‘post-national language,’” Zur said. “Rather than treating Korean culture as an export product and students as mere consumers, we should view them as partners who share and learn the culture together, and continue to support them accordingly.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.