Korean Conversation Partner Online: Where to Find One and What to Say

How to find a Korean speaker who's learning your language, when to use 존댓말 or 반말, time zones, and first messages that start a real conversation.

Updated 24 September 2026 · 2 min read

Interest in Korean has exploded, thanks to music, dramas and food. That's great for Korean classes and harder for exchange partners: many more people are learning Korean than there are Korean speakers looking for partners online.

A good partner is still very findable. You need the right timing, the right politeness level and a first message worth answering.

Timing

Korea is UTC+9, the same as Japan, with no daylight saving. Korean evenings are:

Late morning to afternoon in Europe.
Early morning in the Americas. Weekends are easier.
Almost the same time in Australia.

존댓말 or 반말?

Korean builds politeness into verb endings:

존댓말 (polite): 안녕하세요! 만나서 반가워요. Always use this with someone new.
반말 (casual): 안녕! 반가워. Only once your partner offers. The classic line is 말 편하게 할까요? ("Shall we speak casually?")

Age matters in Korean, so don't be surprised if your partner asks how old you are early on. It isn't nosy; it tells them how to speak to you.

Miss chatting with someone on the other side of the world?Olu lands you in a random country, one person, translated both ways. Free, in your browser. Take off →

Where to find a partner

HelloTalk and Tandem. Both are popular with Korean users. Compare them in HelloTalk alternatives.
Discord. Korean-learning servers with partner channels and voice rooms.
Olu's Language learners planet. Set Korean as the language you're learning and tap to take off. Korean speakers who are learning your language are matched with you first.

On Olu their messages arrive translated, with the original Hangul shown big because you're practising Korean, which is a great way to get quicker at reading. Honest limits: it's text only, and the planet is new, so Korean evenings are your best window.

First messages that get a reply

안녕하세요! 한국어를 공부하고 있어요. 영어 연습도 같이 해요! ("Hi! I'm studying Korean. Let's practise English together too!")
요즘 한국에서 뭐가 유행이에요? ("What's trending in Korea these days?")
제일 좋아하는 한국 음식이 뭐예요? 저는 떡볶이를 좋아해요. ("What's your favourite Korean food? I love tteokbokki.")

Asking about everyday life works better than asking about idols. Your partner hears about K-pop from every learner, but hardly anyone asks what they had for lunch.

Keep it fair

Many Korean learners of English want to practise too, and they tend to wait until you offer. Split the conversation, trade corrections, and keep it short and regular.

Learning Japanese as well? See finding a Japanese language exchange partner.

Questions people ask

+Where can I find a Korean conversation partner for free?

HelloTalk and Tandem both have many Korean users, and Korean-learning Discord servers run partner channels. On Olu's Language learners planet you set Korean as the language you're learning, and Korean speakers learning your language are matched with you first.

+Should I use 반말 (banmal) with my conversation partner?

Start in polite 존댓말 (jondaetmal), the -요 endings. Switch to 반말 only when your partner suggests it, usually with a question like '말 편하게 할까요?'

+Is it rude to ask a Korean partner's age?

No. Age decides how people speak to each other in Korean, so it often comes up early. It's normal for them to ask yours, too.

Boarding pass · free

Tap, fly to a random country, and chat with someone who lives there.

Text first, translated both ways, no video, no coins to meet people. Works in your browser.

Take off on Olu