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More Malaysians learning Korean language as K-wave continues to take world by storm
- Korean is one of fastest-growing languages in world, recently ranked 7th most-studied language on Duolingo app, while Mandarin was 8th
- For many young fans, part of the cultural appeal is a sense of escapism that K-pop and K-dramas bring
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Malaysian teacher Nura Ezzatie begins all her TikTok videos with the Korean greeting “Annyeonghaseyo!”.
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She started her channel in 2021 to share tips on learning Korean. Now she has over 180,000 followers.
But her journey with the language started over a decade ago, as an 18-year-old obsessing over K-pop group Super Junior, spending her days watching TV shows featuring the group, like millions across Asia transfixed by Korean culture.
Her only gripe was that she had to watch episodes a week late while she waited for subtitles.
“My vision at the time was that one day, I’d want to watch and understand Korean TV shows without subtitles,” said the 30-year-old. “I think from that moment on I decided to learn Korean.”
Unable to afford classes at Korean language centres, she found free lessons on YouTube.
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Now she is returning the favour – sharing study tips with her online followers who are also trying to learn the language.
Nura has also grown her interest for the language into a career, teaching Korean at a secondary school in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan.
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