All-Korean podcasts for Korean-language learning?

October 4, 2011 3:53 PM

Which entertaining Korean-language podcasts intended for native speakers can best help a Korean-learner improve his listening skills?

I'm studying Korean and also happen to be way into podcasts. I've found solid instructional podcasts for Korean -- Talk to Me in Korean is particularly strong -- but I remain on the lookout for good Korean-language shows intended for Koreans to listen to and megadose my brain with examples of the language as she is actually spoke.

In the hunt for such podcasts, I often come up with programs of patchy quality or too "inside" Korean politics or what have you for me to quite understand, even if I know what the words mean. Any recommendations of Korean podcasts on society, culture, art, film, etc. that have worked for you and whose hosts don't have too much of a twang for a Korean-learner to understand?

posted by colinmarshall to writing & language (3 answers total)

Some Korean language podcasts I listen to are:

김영하의 책 읽는 시간 - Novelist Kim Young-ha talks about novels and literature. He speaks in very correct standard Korean (i.e., no slang or regional dialect) with varied vocabulary.

이종범의 조곤조곤 만화박물지 - Cartoonist Lee Jong-beom talks about comic books he has liked. He sometimes has a guest in his podcast.

I also listen to podcast versions of Korean radio shows, such as 아름다운 밤 우리들의 라디오 on EBS with 신재평, or 유희열의 라디오 천국 on KBS. The non-official versions of the podcasts just have the talk portions without the music played by the DJs.
posted by needled at 6:00 PM on October 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

i know this isn't a podcast at all but have you thought about watching korean dramas? you can find really great, smart, entertaining ones with english subtitles (or without but it depends on if you want something to cross-check your listening). i'm not actively trying to learn korean but i have learned certain words from them. i recommend: secret garden, you're beautiful, alone in love, etc. some sites to watch them are youtube (in parts), dramacrazy, hulu, and dramafever. sorry, if this wasn't what you were looking for but it was the first thing that came to my mind!
posted by thischarmingirl at 6:01 PM on October 4, 2011

Not exactly a podcast... but GomTV has lots of Korean language TV and entertainment video casts including professional video game tournaments like Starcraft II.
posted by j03 at 4:14 AM on October 5, 2011