Hi, I'm Emma

Korean-American. Raised in the US, now based in Seoul. Former marketer and local guide.

I was born in Korea, grew up mostly in the United States, and now live back in Seoul.

I've worked as a marketer in both countries, and on the side I worked as a local guide. Again and again, I met people who had just arrived in Korea: excited, a little lost, and unable to read a single sign. So I started teaching them Hangul.

What I saw surprised me every time. Once someone could read a menu, order a coffee in Korean, or say a few friendly words to a shop owner, everything changed. People smiled back. Conversations started. Korea stopped feeling foreign.

This blog and my workbooks are built around three ideas:

• Easy: memory tricks, clear stroke order, no confusing grammar on Day 1
• Fast: read real words from the very first day
• Useful: the signs, menus and phrases you'll actually meet in Korea

You don't need to be perfect. A few words, said with a smile, go a long way here.

화이팅! — Emma