Beginner · after Hangeul
The first book you can actually finish in Korean.
Twenty-four short stories built from 247 words — and all 247 are printed at the back. The first story uses nineteen. There is no romanization in the book, because you just learned Hangeul and this is where you start using it.
$54Get instant access · $34See inside ↓
Meet your teacher
Hi, I'm Hailey 👋
I've taught Korean to learners all over the world, and I keep meeting the same wall. You finish learning Hangeul, you're proud of it, you open a “beginner” reader — and two pages in you're looking up four words a line. You close it and decide you're not ready yet. You were ready. The book wasn't.
So I built this one backwards. I started from the smallest number of words a story can live on, and I only let a new word in when the story actually needed it. By the last page there are 247 — and every single one is at the back with its meaning, so there's nothing to look up and nowhere to get stuck.
You will not need a dictionary. That's the whole promise.
— Hailey · @korean_hailey
Why it works
By the end, you'll be able to…
Finish a whole book in Korean
Twenty-four stories, cover to cover, in about eight weeks. Most learners have never finished one.
Read without romanization
Not one romanized letter in the book. You just learned Hangeul — this is where you start using it.
Say every line out loud
Twenty-four audio tracks, read slowly with a short pause after every line — so you can read along out loud.
Build your own sentences
216 exercises with the answers at the back. You write, not just read.
What's inside
A complete beginner reader — not just a story collection
Twenty-four stories you can actually read, built the way a real teacher would build them.
24 stories
Emma's first weeks in Seoul — a friend, a teacher, a family, a concert, a rainy Saturday.
247 words, all printed
Every word in the book is listed at the back with its meaning. There is nothing to look up.
The first story is 19 words
And it grows one word at a time. Every new word shows up only when the story needs it.
24 illustrations
Two scenes per story, drawn for this book. You see the story before you read it.
96 pattern boxes
Twenty frames, pulled out of the story you just read. The shaded part is the only thing that moves.
216 exercises + answer key
Three sets per story. Write in the book, check yourself at the back.
A Words page per story
Every word that story used, grouped by type, with the new ones marked. Nothing to look up mid-read.
Full word list
Every word in Korean alphabetical order, with its meaning.
Romanization companion
A separate 50-page file, in case you get stuck. It is not in the book — on purpose.
Instant PDF · A4
Read on a phone, tablet or computer — or print it at home.
Look inside
See it before you buy
One story runs over five pages, and it always runs the same way.
Read — the story, English in grey
Patterns — the frames, pulled out
Practice — you build the sentences
Words — every word in that story
Word list — all 247 in one place
📱 Works on iPad, phone & computer — instant PDF
How it works
Every story follows one simple rhythm
1
Read the story
Korean lines with the English in grey underneath, so your eyes stay on the Korean and only drop when they need to.
2
Meet the patterns
Two pages that pull the frames out of the story you just read. Only the shaded part changes.
3
Build it yourself
Three sets of exercises, written in the book, with the answer key at the back.
4
Collect the words
One page at the end of every story with every word it used, grouped by type — and the new ones marked.
24 stories
What you'll read
Three parts. Each story stands on the words of the ones before it.
Part 1 · People and things
Part 2 · Days and places
Part 3 · Asking and doing
Who it's for
Made for you if…
You can read Hangeul but have never finished anything written in Korean.
Every “beginner” reader you opened turned out not to be one.
You want to read without romanization, and you are ready to try today.
You’ve tried apps and quit — you want something calm, structured and finishable.
You love K-dramas, K-pop or K-beauty and want to read the Korean, not the subtitles.
You want to learn from a real teacher, not a random word list.
Why this one?
Most beginner readers are not beginner readers.
Most readers claim a level. This one prints it. 247 words, and every one of them is at the back. You can count them.
The first story is 19 words. And the book grows one word at a time from there. Nothing arrives out of nowhere.
No romanization in the book. Most beginner readers hedge and put it under every line — and then you read the romanization, not the Korean.
Practice for every story. Read → Patterns → Practice → Words, twenty-four times. A story collection hands you text. This hands you a lesson.
Get the book
Start reading Korean this week — $34
Your First Korean Stories
$54$34
One-time payment · instant digital download
- ✓24 stories · one 144-page illustrated PDF
- ✓Print-ready A4 PDF
- ✓96 pattern boxes — 20 patterns, pulled out of the stories
- ✓216 exercises with the full answer key
- ✓Word list — all 247 words with meanings
- ✓Romanization companion — separate 50-page file
- ✓24 audio tracks, one per story — read slowly, with a pause after every line
Lifetime access — download anytime, print at home
💳 PayPal not working for you? Pay by card instead →Questions
Before you buy
What level is this for?
You need to be able to read Hangeul — the letters, slowly, out loud. That is all. If you cannot read Hangeul yet, start with Hangeul from ZERO and come back to this.
Is there romanization in the book?
No. Not one line. There is a separate 50-page romanization companion you can open if you get truly stuck, but the book itself never gives you the option to skip the Hangeul.
How long does it take?
About eight weeks at three stories a week. One story is one sitting — Read, Patterns, Practice, Words, in that order.
Do I need your other books first?
No. This book assumes Hangeul and nothing else. It teaches its own 247 words and 20 patterns from zero.
Is the audio included?
Yes. 24 audio tracks, one per story, read slowly and clearly with a short pause after every line. They are in the same place you download the book.
What exactly do I get?
The book as a print-ready A4 PDF, the romanization companion, and all 24 audio tracks. One-time payment, yours forever.
Can I print it?
Yes — the exercise lines are there to be written on. The PDF is set for A4. On US Letter paper, choose “Fit to page” when you print.
You learned the letters.
Now read something.
Twenty-four stories, 247 words, no romanization. Eight weeks from now you'll have finished a book in Korean — and that changes what you think you're capable of.
Finished all 24? Korean Culture Stories · Level 2 is your next book — 24 stories about everyday life in Korea.
