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Itaewon Global Village Center offers free Korean classes

Published: 04 Oct. 2025, 08:37

LEE TAE-HEE
[email protected]

A teacher teaches Korean during the Intermediate 3B Korean class at the Itaewon Global Village Center on Oct. 2. [LEE TAE-HEE]

At the Itaewon Global Village Center, its free Korean classes are more than just academic lessons, they're a chance for expats to learn and connect.

On Thursday, six students were sitting in the Intermediate 3B Korean class offered at the Itaewon Global Village Center building in Yongsan District, central Seoul.

The class began casually, with students and the teacher briefly talking in Korean about their activities last week — many of whom excitedly talked about attending the Seoul International Fireworks Festival on Saturday — before breaking into pairs to practice daily conversations.

Being an intermediate class, students learned how to use expressions like "on the ~ side," practicing by using it to describe that someone's personality is on the "quiet side" or that someone's hair is on the "shorter side."

A student practiced by describing that another student has blonde hair, or geumbal in Korean, and the teacher also explained other similar Korean words ending in bal, such as eunbal for gray hair and gabal for wig.

"I like coming to a community, and we also have really good classes here," said Donat Kocska from Hungary. "I also do Duolingo and sometimes watch dramas, but I don't like those methods as much, and classes help a lot with language and understanding the culture and various contexts in Korea."

The Intermediate 3B Korean class is just one of the many levels of Korean classes offered at the Itaewon Global Village Center.

The Intermediate 3B Korean class at Itaewon Global Village Center in Yongsan District, central Seoul, held on Oct. 2. [LEE TAE-HEE]

The center provides classes ranging from absolute beginner to upper beginner and intermediate, with sessions held twice a week. Classes run every quarter, with the current fourth quarter session scheduled for 10 weeks starting Monday.

Classes are free, though students are required to purchase their own textbooks. Any foreign national aged 18 or older residing in Korea with a residence card is eligible to join.

The teacher also manages a KakaoTalk chat room for each class, which is used to communicate with students, announce homework and collect assignments.

While the classes help students improve their Korean, they also serve as a way to build a close-knit community.

"I looked around for available Korean classes, but it was difficult to do so because of the language barrier," said Nabieva Gulnoza from Uzbekistan. "But I had a friend of mine who used to come here, and she recommended me the classes."

"The classes have been very helpful because it's hard to make friends elsewhere, practice Korean and learn Korean — except for watching dramas. But here, you can get to know people as well."

The bonds students form even extend across borders.

"We keep the class schedule for different levels and the teachers mostly the same, and many students have been taking classes with us for two or three years," said Katherine Ann Corteza, director of the Itaewon Global Village Center. "Even when the students go back to their countries, they still keep in touch, and we do focus on community building."

Because the Itaewon Global Village Center is in an area with many expats and international schools, the center also offers Korean classes for children in grades two to six.

The children’s classes are run in partnership with the Seoul Global Youth Education Center and are offered between September and December. Two levels are available: an absolute beginner class teaching basic Hangul and a beginner class that helps children read and write simple Korean words.

The Itaewon Global Village Center isn't the only place offering free Korean courses.

Seoul has seven Global Village Centers, such as the Ichon Global Village Center also in Yongsan District, Gangnam Global Village Center in Gangnam District, southern Seoul and the Yeonnam Global Village Center in Mapo District, western Seoul, that offer various free Korean classes.

Ichon Global Village Center will offer Korean classes between Oct. 13 and Dec. 18, while the Sorae Global Village Center in Seocho District, southern Seoul, will do so between Oct. 13 and Dec. 19.

The Seoul Global Center, under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will be offering free business Korean classes between September and November. While classes are mostly held at the Seoul Global Center in Jongno District, central Seoul, one class is taught at the Seoul International Student Center in Sinchon, western Seoul.

The Dongbu Foreign Resident Center, also under the Seoul government, will soon accept applications for its Korean classes offered between Oct. 26 and Nov. 30. Those interested can sign up starting Oct. 12 at 10 a.m., and registration will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.

The center also offers various levels such as basic Korean, classes focusing on helping improve pronunciation and a daily conversation class.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]