Korean News Anchor (17 Years) — Real Korean for Travel, Work & Life

Jk K.

안녕하세요! I'm JK Kim, a native Korean speaker who spent 17 years as a Korean-language news anchor and senior journalist at Radio Free Asia in Washington, DC. When you learn with me, you are not learning Korean from a textbook. You are learning the clear, standard pronunciation and the natural expressions of a professional broadcaster, the same Korean heard on air across Korea every day. I hold a language-teaching certificate (DLS Intro to Language Teaching) and degrees from American University (MPP) and Syracuse University, so I explain Korean in clear English, with a focus on why the language works the way it does.
My lessons are practical and built around your goal. If you are traveling to Korea, my Seoul travel crash course prepares you for the airport, restaurants, shopping, taxis, and friendly small talk through role-plays that make real situations feel familiar. If you are a heritage learner, we rebuild your speaking confidence step by step. If you need Korean for work or family, we focus on the conversations you actually have. I also run a pronunciation clinic for the sounds English speakers find hardest, the ones that make the biggest difference in being understood.
Every lesson comes with custom study materials, a written lesson review, and light homework, so you keep progressing between sessions. One of my current students, a sports coach preparing for a November trip to Seoul, went from reading only to handling immigration dialogues, bargaining at a market, and ordering food on his own in just a few lessons. Whether you are starting from zero or shaking off the rust, I will meet you where you are, patient and structured, and get you speaking Korean with confidence. Let's build your Korean together!