What Korean level do I need for the Higher Diploma in Korean Language Studies?

B2 (upper-intermediate) on entry, assessed at application. The Higher Diploma takes you to C1 (effective operational proficiency) by completion. Students entering at lower levels are typically routed to the Diploma in Korean Language first.

Is the Higher Diploma in Korean Language Studies recognised by King Sejong Institute?

The course is aligned with King Sejong Institute reading and listening materials and prepares students well for TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) at advanced level, which is sat separately. The Higher Diploma is a UK higher-education qualification at Level 5/6.

Does the Higher Diploma in Korean Language Studies cover K-content localisation in depth?

Yes — a dedicated module on subtitling, transcreation and cultural adaptation, taught alongside working K-content localisation professionals. Students often build their final portfolio around K-content work for major streaming platforms or gaming studios.

Can the Higher Diploma in Korean Language Studies be done online?

Yes. Live tutorials run in UK working hours with recordings; distance learners set their own pace within deadlines. Speaking assessments are conducted by video. Students based in Korea or in Korean diaspora communities are well accommodated.

Does the Higher Diploma in Korean Language Studies progress to a Bachelor's degree?

Yes — direct entry into the final year of a UK BA in Modern Languages at LSJHML or a partner university. Admissions reviews your transcript and translation portfolio and maps credits at the application stage.

Higher Diploma in Korean Language Studies | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Korean Language Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a fifteen-to-eighteen-month UK qualification at Level 5/6 for upper-intermediate Korean speakers moving to professional working competence (C1). You will work across translation, K-content localisation, Korea-related programme and analytical work, and the cultural literacy professional engagement with Korea requires.

Korean is one of the fastest-growing working languages in UK creative industries, technology, trade and analytical work — driven by K-content, Korean tech ecosystems and active UK-Korea economic ties. The course is taught with that practical context in mind alongside serious linguistic grounding.

Key Features

Authoritative UK qualification at Level 5/6 — fifteen to eighteen months full-time, twenty-four to thirty months part-time.
CEFR C1-aligned assessment design across reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Translation portfolio module — news, commercial and short literary text KO-EN and EN-KO.
K-content localisation strand — subtitling, transcreation, cultural adaptation for UK and global audiences.
King Sejong Institute-aligned reading and listening materials, refreshed annually.
Direct top-up into the final year of a UK Bachelor's degree in modern languages.

What You Will Learn

The Higher Diploma in Korean Language Studies is structured around the working Korean a UK or international employer actually values — accurate reading of complex source material, defensible translation, confident business and meeting Korean, and the cultural awareness to operate across South Korea and Korean diaspora contexts.

Advanced grammar — honorifics at depth, complex sentence structure, register, sociolinguistic conventions.
Reading — news Korean (조선일보, 한겨레, 매일경제), commercial correspondence, short literary text.
Listening — Korean broadcast (KBS, JTBC) and current K-content at native speed.
Speaking — formal presentation, meeting Korean, structured discussion, honorific navigation.
Translation — KO-EN and EN-KO across news and commercial text.
K-content localisation — subtitling, transcreation, cultural adaptation.
Korean cultural and business literacy — South Korean society, business practice, Korean diaspora.
Sociolinguistic awareness — formality registers, dialect, generational language change.

Who This Higher Diploma Is For

Upper-intermediate Korean speakers (B2) wanting to push to professional C1 for working use.
Advanced Diploma graduates in modern languages ready for senior-track Korean and a Bachelor's top-up.
Working translators, localisation staff, K-content professionals and Korea-related programme staff.
Heritage Korean speakers wanting formal academic Korean and a recognised UK credential.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the Higher Diploma in Korean Language Studies move into translation, localisation, K-content and Korea-related programme roles across UK and international employers. Many continue to a Bachelor's degree top-up year. Typical roles include:

Korean Translator (agency, in-house at a multilingual organisation)
K-Content Localisation Specialist (streaming platform, subtitling agency, gaming studio)
Bilingual Account Manager (Korean client portfolio at a UK firm)
Korea Programme Officer (cultural organisation, embassy, trade body)
Diplomatic Service Adviser (entry-level FCDO Korea-focused role)
Korean Media Researcher (broadcaster, think tank, monitoring service)

The Higher Diploma articulates directly into the final year of a UK BA in Modern Languages.

Entry Requirements

An Advanced Diploma (Level 5) or equivalent in a related subject, OR a Diploma plus two years of relevant work experience.
Korean at B2 level or above on entry (assessed at application).
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement and CV.
Mature applicants (25+) without standard qualifications may apply with significant senior-track work experience.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.