K-content fuels global Korean learning boom, surpassing Chinese on Duolingo

Duolingo, the world’s largest language learning platform, now ranks Korean as the seventh most-studied language on its app, surpassing Chinese. The service, which offers instruction in more than 40 languages, boasts 500 million registered users and 40 million daily active users.

Luis von Ahn, CEO of Duolingo, speaks during an interview with The Chosunilbo at Fast Five in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Apr. 10. /Park Sung-won

Luis von Ahn, the 47-year-old CEO and co-founder of Duolingo, attributed the growing interest in Korean to the global rise of Korean cultural exports. “With the worldwide success of content like Squid Game, there’s been an explosive surge in people wanting to learn Korean,” von Ahn said. “At present, around 5.5 million users are studying Korean through Duolingo.”

Launched with the goal of making education universally accessible, Duolingo became publicly traded on the Nasdaq in 2021, marking its 10th anniversary. The company now has a market capitalization of $14.8 billion.

Von Ahn, who was born and raised in Guatemala, said his early exposure to poverty and limited access to education shaped the foundation of the company. In order to apply to universities in the United States, Guatemalan students were required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)—a process that involved traveling to neighboring El Salvador and spending over $1,000 in related costs.

“One of the proudest moments of my life came about eight years ago when I found out that Syrian refugees arriving in Europe were using Duolingo to learn the languages of their host countries,” he said. “Duolingo is a platform where both millionaires and refugees can learn on equal footing.”

[Ahn Sang-hyun]

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