Over the last 14 years, we've worked hard to make learning Korean accessible to everyone and provide the best suitable content for online learning environments.
It has always brought us genuine happiness and motivation to see Korean learners from all over the world loving our content and exploring new possibilities through learning Korean with us. Thankfully, we have grown into a trustworthy Korean language education brand with 1.5 million registered users, all from just two individuals recording Korean podcast lessons from a tiny office in 2009.
Our Transition from Freemium to Paid-only
As more and more people joined us to learn Korean, however, our operating costs for hosting free members have also significantly increased. And in order to continue creating and providing quality Korean education materials for a long time to come, we’ve reached a point where we need to make some big changes as to how we offer our content.
Therefore, after careful and lengthy discussions, we have decided to transition into a paid-only platform in order to focus on enhancing the quality of our products and services, and delivering even more value to our subscribers.
The major changes and improvements will be as follows:
- The (free) Basic Membership status will be discontinued.
- An active TTMIK Course Subscription will be required for access to our courses.
- A new Essential Curriculum integrating Core Grammar courses and brand-new Speak & Write courses will be launched.
- A study guidance with new features will be introduced on the Course page.
We've developed our new and improved Essential Curriculum based on valuable customer feedback to encourage more active engagement and real-life applications. Additionally, a new Courses page will be available with enhanced features, making it easier for you to navigate our entire Korean-language curriculum and providing better guidance for your learning plans.
What We’ll Continue Offering For Free
The following will still be available to everyone for free:
- The audio tracks for all of Talk To Me In Korean books and ebooks
- The Korean Level Test on our website
- Video lessons on the Talk To Me In Korean YouTube channel
- Korean vocabulary lessons on the Talk To Me In Korean podcast
- Talk To Me In Korean blog posts
- Mini lessons on various social media channels
Ever since we started creating Korean learning content, we've continuously made changes to our products and services, adapting to evolving customer needs, technological advancements, financial challenges and various other circumstances. However, our goal has always been to provide the support you need to learn Korean effectively.
We assure you that the current change will enable us to create and provide better content, offering an improved learning experience and helping you achieve more. Over the last 14 years, we've reached many new milestones, and we couldn't have done it without you.
Your continued love and support are deeply appreciated, and we look forward to making further progress together with you.
Questions & Answers
Q1. I am a Basic Member taking TTMIK courses without subscriptions. What will change?
A1. Starting on August 9, you'll need a subscription to continue taking our courses. Your courses and certificates on My Learning Center will disappear after the updates if you don’t have an active subscription, but they'll be restored when you activate your subscription.
If you want to subscribe to TTMIK Courses now, please click here.
Q2. I am a Premium Member with an active subscription. Will anything change?
A2. As a Premium Member with an active subscription, you can continue to enjoy our services without any interruptions.
We have made some exciting improvements and changes to our courses and features, enhancing your learning experience and providing you with even more valuable resources. Please see the following question for more details about the updates.
Q3. What improvements and changes will be made after the updates?
A3. The major improvements and changes are as follows:
- A New Essential Curriculum: The current Level 1-10 Essential Courses will be rebranded as Core Grammar courses, and they will be further enhanced with Speak & Write courses in the new Essential Curriculum.
- Easy-To-Follow Study Guidance: A structured curriculum for each level will help you stay on the right track with your study plan.
- Easier Navigation on the Courses page: Updated search filters will make it easier to find courses that fit your interests and needs.
Q4. Is there anything still offered without subscriptions?
A4. The following will still be available to everyone for free after the updates:
- The audio tracks for all of Talk To Me In Korean books and ebooks
- The Korean Level Test on our website
- Video lessons on our Talk To Me In Korean YouTube channel
- Korean vocabulary lessons on the Talk To Me In Korean podcast
- Talk To Me In Korean blog posts
- Mini lessons on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Q5. Will I need a subscription for the audio tracks for the books and ebooks?
A5. No, the audio tracks for all of Talk To Me In Korean books and ebooks will remain free. You can stream or download them from the Audio page on our website.
The TTMIK: Audio app will also continue to be available for free. However, please note that the Audio app may experience some instability for a period of time due to the update. Therefore, we recommend using the audio track streaming feature on our website for a more seamless experience.