Korean Symbols Copy Paste — Hangul, Text Faces, and Emoticons
Copy and paste Korean symbols, Hangul characters, Korean text faces, and emoticons. Character meanings, keyboard shortcuts, and typing methods.
Korean text (Hangul) is one of the most logical writing systems ever created. King Sejong the Great commissioned it in 1443 to replace Chinese characters, which most commoners could not read. The result was a phonetic alphabet where the shapes of the letters represent the position of your mouth and tongue when making each sound. Clever, practical, and beautiful.
Beyond the official writing system, Korean internet culture has developed its own visual language of text faces, emoticons, and symbols. Here is a complete guide to Korean symbols you can copy and use anywhere.
Korean Alphabet (Hangul) Consonants
The 14 basic consonants in Hangul, with their approximate English sounds.
| Character | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | Giyeok | k / g |
| ㄴ | Nieun | n |
| ㄷ | Digeut | d / t |
| ㄹ | Rieul | r / l |
| ㅁ | Mieum | m |
| ㅂ | Bieup | b / p |
| ㅅ | Sios | s |
| ㅇ | Ieung | silent / ng |
| ㅈ | Jieut | j |
| ㅊ | Chieut | ch |
| ㅋ | Kieuk | k (aspirated) |
| ㅌ | Tieut | t (aspirated) |
| ㅍ | Pieup | p (aspirated) |
| ㅎ | Hieut | h |
Korean Alphabet (Hangul) Vowels
The basic vowels. These combine with consonants to form syllable blocks.
| Character | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | A | a (father) |
| ㅐ | AE | a (cat) |
| ㅑ | YA | ya |
| ㅓ | EO | o (son) |
| ㅔ | E | e (pet) |
| ㅕ | YEO | yo (with open o) |
| ㅗ | O | o (go) |
| ㅘ | YAE | ye |
| ㅙ | YO | yo |
| ㅛ | U | u (rude) |
| ㅜ | WEO | wo |
| ㅝ | WE | we |
| ㅡ | EU | u (put, short) |
| ㅣ | I | ee (see) |
Popular Korean Words and Phrases
Common Korean words people search for and use online. Copy and paste freely.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 사랑해 | Saranghae | I love you |
| 행복하세요 | Haengbokhaseyo | Be happy |
| 감사합니다 | Gamsahamnida | Thank you (formal) |
| 여보세요 | Yeoboseyo | Hello (phone) |
| 훌이요 | Chueoseoyo | I like you |
| 안녕하세요 | Annyeonghaseyo | Hello |
| 나를 사랑해 | Nareul saranghae | Love me |
| 우리 | Uri | We / Our |
| 홍대 | Hongdae | Hongik University area |
| 밥 | Bap | Rice / Meal |
Korean Text Faces (Kuommal)
Korean internet culture has a rich tradition of text faces called Kuommal. These use Korean characters to create expressive emoticons that are uniquely Korean. They are hugely popular on KakaoTalk and Korean social media.
| Face | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ㅔㅡㅔ | Sad / Crying |
| ㅏㅡㅏ | Laughing |
| (ㅌㅡㅌ) | Angry / Determined |
| (ㄷㅡㄷ) | Cheeky / Mischievous |
| (ㅗㅡㅗ) | Surprised |
| (ㅏㅡㅏ) | Happy / Grinning |
| (ㅔㅡㅔ) | Disappointed |
| (ㅅㅡㅅ) | Smiling |
| (한습을 한습을) | Hungsul hungsul (sulking) |
| (음최랑습니다) | Excited / Enthusiastic |
Korean Symbol Decorative Characters
These special Korean characters are commonly used as decorative symbols in usernames, social media, and designs.
- ★ ☆ ✦ ✧ ★ — Stars often paired with Korean text
- 」 』 】 《 》 — CJK brackets used in Korean styling
- ㅠ ㅡ ㅢ ㅣ — Special Hangul filler characters
- 가 나 다 라 마 — The classic "Ga Na Da Ra Ma" sequence (Korean ABCs)
How to Type Korean Characters
- Windows: Settings > Time & Language > Language > Add Korean. Switch with Windows key + Space. Type in romaja (Romanized Korean) and it converts automatically.
- Mac: System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources > Add Korean - 2-Set Korean (standard).
- iPhone: Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard > Korean.
- Android: Settings > System > Languages & Input > On-screen Keyboard > Add Korean.
- Online: Type in English at lexilogos.com/korean-keyboard.php and get Korean output.
Or just copy-paste from the tables above. All characters here are standard Unicode and work in any app or platform.
Korean vs Japanese vs Chinese Characters
A quick clarification since people confuse these:
- Korean (Hangul): Phonetic alphabet. Each character is a sound, not a meaning. 한글 means "Korean writing."
- Japanese (Hiragana/Katakana): Also phonetic syllabaries. Japanese also uses Kanji (Chinese characters). あ = "a" sound.
- Chinese (Hanzi): Logographic. Each character represents a word or concept. 中 = "middle/China."
Korean used Chinese characters (Hanja) historically, but modern Korean is almost entirely written in Hangul. Hanja appears occasionally in academic, legal, and formal contexts.