Selection criteria and independence
Last updated 2026-10-15
What this directory is
A reference list of textbooks for people learning Korean as a foreign or second language, covering books published in Korea and abroad. It is built for teachers, program coordinators and self-learners who want to see what exists for their situation.
Each entry is a series, not a single volume. Multi-volume courses (1A, 1B and so on) share one entry, and local editions or translations published in other countries are linked to each other.
What gets included
- Textbooks and study books whose main audience is learners of Korean as a foreign or second language
- Integrated courses, skill books (grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, speaking, listening, pronunciation), test prep, and teacher materials
- Books in print or widely used until recently (including out-of-print titles)
- Books with at least one verifiable source: a publisher, store or institution page
- Excluded: Korean language arts books for native speakers, apps, and course subscriptions
Inclusion depends only on these criteria. If a book is missing, please tell us.
For now the learning-setting filter shows only self-study and classroom. Fit for one-on-one tutoring and study groups will be added after review by teachers.
How levels are unified
Books label levels in many ways: 초급, 1A, A1, 5級. This directory places every book on one 0–6 scale that matches TOPIK levels 1–6, with 0 meaning before learning Hangul.
The basis is the National Institute of Korean Language's International Standard Curriculum for Korean (six levels) and TOPIK. There is no official CEFR equivalence for TOPIK. The Sejong Institute, Hangul Kentei and CEFR columns below are approximations drawn from unofficial tables published by universities and institutions.
When a book only says “beginner”, we record it broadly as 0–2; “intermediate” as 3–4; “advanced” as 5–6. Values checked by an editor take priority.
| This directory | TOPIK | Sejong Institute | Hangul Kentei (Japan) | CEFR (unofficial) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 Pre-Hangul | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | TOPIK I 1 | 1A–1B | 5級 | ≈A1 |
| 2 | TOPIK I 2 | 2A–2B | 4級 | ≈A2 |
| 3 | TOPIK II 3 | 3A–3B | 3級 | ≈B1 |
| 4 | TOPIK II 4 | 4A–4B | 準2級 | ≈B2 |
| 5 | TOPIK II 5 | 5–6 | 2級 | ≈C1 |
| 6 | TOPIK II 6 | 7–8 | 1級 | ≈C2 |
Approximate, for reference only. Not an official conversion.
Who runs this, and how it stays independent
koedu.kr is run by Hyunwoo Sun, CEO of Talk To Me In Korean (TTMIK). TTMIK publishes some of the books listed here.
Every TTMIK book is labelled “Published by the operator's company (TTMIK)”. It meets the same inclusion and level criteria as every other book and is never pushed up in results.
- Books are listed by title by default. You can also sort by newest or by level.
- With a search term, the closest matches come first.
“Popular in Korean bookstores” ranks books by their YES24 sales index and Aladin Sales Point, converted to a percentile within each store. The figures were collected on 2026-10-17 and are refreshed periodically. Books not sold in Korean bookstores come after.
Data sources and verification
Entries are compiled from publisher and institution pages, online bookstore product pages in Korea and abroad, and news coverage. Each textbook page shows its source link, the date it was checked, and a confidence rating.
Data confidence on each book page means: high, bibliographic details and contents confirmed on a store, publisher or official page; medium, only some details confirmed; low, based on a single source.
Cover images, prices and store reviews are not shown, for copyright, terms-of-use and accuracy reasons.