Typing in Korean on Windows 10

Here's a very simple way to get your Windows 10 computer typing in Korean. No games, no messing around. This will assume that:

  1. You speak English
  2. You want to use Windows in English
  3. Sometimes you want to type in Korean.

If that describes you then this guide is for you. Just follow the easy steps. This works whether you actually have a physical Korean keyboard or not (if you don't, the right-alt key will be your 한/영 toggle).

Typing in Korean on Windows 10 (post-2017)


Note that my Windows is using the dark theme in these screenshots so yours will probably be white. Everything's the same though. Click these screenshot thumbnails for full-size views.


Step 1



Right-click on the keyboard icon in the taskbar. Ignore the fact that mine already has Korean in it.

If you don't see this, just tap the Start menu (or press the Windows key) and type "Region" to open the Region & Language settings. 

Step 2



Inside the Region & Language settings, tap the large "+" to Add a language.

Step 3



Find "Korean" and tap "next"

Step 4



Do NOT check the "Set as my Windows display language" unless you want everything in Korean. Just tap Install. 

Step 5



Wait while it downloads the Korean language pack.

Step 6 



When it's done downloading, you'll see this. "Language pack installed"

Step 7



Scroll down to the link that reads "Advanced keyboard settings"

Step 8



In the "Override for default input method" section choose "Korean - Microsoft IME"


That's it! You're done. This setting will ensure that your computer uses the Korean MS IME keyboard, which includes both English and Korean. You don't ever need to use "English US Keyboard" again.

You can now switch between typing Korean and English either by pressing the right "Alt" key (next to your spacebar), or clicking the new keyboard language icon in the bottom-right of your Windows taskbar, or of course the 한/영 key if you have a physical Korean keyboard.

I assume you know where the Korean letters are on the keyboard. If not you might want to play with the Windows 10 soft keyboard until you get comfortable. Or buy some Hangul stickers to stick on. Or print your own.


Original post follows below. 



Older instructions (pre-2017)


These were the older instructions that made up this post, before this functionality was built into Windows 10 new preferences settings and you had to go digging through the control panels. It's now easier with the method above. But I'll leave this older way here for reference.


Step 1
 Go to Windows 10's "Time and Language" settings.

If you haven't done so already, click that big "+" sign to Add a Language, and add Korean.
That's it, you don't need to mess with any of the settings in there. It will probably say it's contacting Windows Update to find the language pack. Cool. Give it a minute to do that.

Then click "Additional date, time, & regional settings,*" highlighted above.


Step 2
Click "Change input methods".
Yeah you could have gotten here several other ways, but this is the way I like to do it.


Step 3
Click "Advanced Settings" over on the left-hand pane.

Step 4
Here's where the magic happens. Set these two menus, the first to English, the second to Korean.


Step 5

Enjoy typing in Korean. 

I like this method because it forces Windows to override whatever wacky language settings you might have and forces it to use the Microsoft Korean IME for inputting Korean.

*Props to Microsoft for using the Oxford comma before an ampersand. Bold move.


Comments

Luna said…
How to make the keyboard input to be set permanently to the Microsoft IME? Tried all the steps, but i'm stuck here :/
Sam Nordberg said…
I'm not sure what you mean. Is it changing to some other input method when you restart? Selecting the Microsoft IME in the "Override" box should be enough, unless you've got the box checked for allowing other methods in other apps. Or perhaps you have other languages using other input methods.
Sam Nordberg said…
There is no double-vowel in that word. You would type it like this: ㅈ ㅗ ㅎ ㅇ ㅡ ㄴ
Unknown said…
how to switch between the language?
Sam Nordberg said…
Use the right "Alt" key. This one.
Unknown said…
ahhh thank you so much
Unknown said…
When I switch to IME, there's a cross next to the place on the taskbar where you see selected language. It says IME is disabled even though I did what it says in the guide. Is there something to do about that?
Sam Nordberg said…
That's normal. It will say "IME is disabled" and give you the X-ed out icon when there's no currently active field in which you can input text. It showed the same for me right before I clicked in this box to start replying to you. Once your cursor enters a text field, it should become active and change to a big letter "A" if you're in English or a big "가" if it's in Korean.
El said…
I have done all of this, however, when I type I'm still typing in English even though I've switched to Korean. Even now, I've switched the keyboard to Korean but I'm still typing in English. Is there a way to solve that? I saw I can change the layout of the keyboard but I'm not sure that will help.
Sam Nordberg said…
Make sure you have only the Microsoft Korean IME active. Using the Korean keyboard layout isn't enough. It sounds like you might be just switching between keyboard layouts which will leave you typing in English (since you haven't set a way to tell the Korean keyboard layout to switch to Hangul since the Korean layout by default uses English letters too).
Coolkid said…
Ah i can't type korean when i was in minecraft text chat
Unknown said…
Is there a way to change the order of the letters manually?
Nicomachus said…
thanks for the guide. is there a correct way to "confirm" or "finalize" a word that the IME has highlighted? like say I'm typing a word that has 1 consonant then 1 vowel, followed by a word that 1 consonant, 1 vowel, then 1 consonant. followed by whatever the rest of the sentence is.

I know it will probably figure out where to put those first 5 characters eventually, but while I'm typing, they sometimes alternate back and forth from 2+3 then 3+2, i.e. at least temporarily, it doesn't know whether the 3rd character belongs in the first word or the second word.

it'd be less confusing for me if I could just finalize the first word after I type the first 2 characters. it may interpret the first 3 characters as the first word, and the next 2 characters as the second word. as I type the rest of the sentence it seems to always figure it out correctly, but since I'm still typing very slowly, it's confusing me while I'm typing since I can't just put faith in it.

so I've been trying to make the IME highlighter thing "move on" to the next word by typing space then backspace, or by hitting other keys. but I assume this is the wrong way, there has to be a proper single key for this right? do people just hit space + backspace, or is this only an issue in my imagination?
Unknown said…
does not work