How to Say I Want to Go to Korea in Korean (한국에 가고 싶어요)

What you'll learn

• Say 한국에 가고 싶어요 aloud as [한구게 가고 시퍼요], with the linked sounds.
• Use the pattern -고 싶어요 with other verbs and other places.
• Choose 에, the standard destination marker, instead of 을 or 에서.
• Tell the difference between 가고 싶어요 and 가 보고 싶어요.

Before you start: you need to read Hangul; romanization is shown as an aid and can be hidden. Time: about 9 minutes. Audio plays only when you press a button.

How Do You Say I Want to Go to Korea in Korean?

The direct answer is 한국에 가고 싶어요. It has four parts: 한국 (Korea), 에 (to, the destination marker), 가고 (going) and 싶어요 (want). The verb 가다 means "to go", and -고 싶다 adds the wish. This pattern also fits other places, other verbs and other wishes, and the table shows common versions.

All five state a personal wish. The next section shows each in a sentence.

What Are the Polite, Casual and Formal Ways to Say I Want to Go to Korea?

The forms follow the Korean speech levels explained in the guide to Korean speech levels. Only the ending changes with the listener, and the pattern stays the same.

Polite: 한국에 가고 싶어요 (hanguge gago sipeoyo)

This is the standard form for teachers, hosts, colleagues and strangers. Add 언젠가 (someday) or 꼭 (definitely) to make the wish stronger.

Polite: 한국에 가 보고 싶어요 (hanguge ga bogo sipeoyo)

보다 means "to see", and after a verb it means "to try". 가 보다 is "to go and see for yourself". Use it when you have never been, because it sounds curious and open.

Polite: 서울에 가고 싶어요 (seoure gago sipeoyo)

Replace the country with a city, such as 서울 (Seoul), 부산 (Busan) or 제주도 (Jeju Island). The particle stays 에.

Polite: 한국에 살고 싶어요 (hanguge salgo sipeoyo)

Swap 가다 for 살다 (to live) to say you want to live there. Notice that 살다 takes 에 here, to mark the place you live.

Casual: 한국에 가고 싶어 (hanguge gago sipeo)

Without -요, the wish is casual. Use it with friends and family, and add a time such as 방학에 (in the school holidays).

Formal: 한국에 가고 싶습니다 (hanguge gago sipseumnida)

In a speech, an interview or an application, use the formal ending: 한국에 가고 싶습니다. It sounds like [한구게 가고 십씀니다].

The forms share a pattern, and the next question is how it sounds.

How Do You Pronounce 한국에 가고 싶어요?

한국에 가고 싶어요 is pronounced [한구게 가고 시퍼요], hanguge gago sipeoyo in Revised Romanization, the official system for writing Korean in Latin letters.

1. 한 (han): "hahn", with a soft h.
2. 구게 (guge): written 국에, said "goo-geh", because ㄱ moves forward.
3. 가고 (gago): "ga-go", with plain, voiced g sounds between vowels.
4. 시퍼요 (sipeoyo): written 싶어요, said "shee-puh-yo", because ㅍ moves forward.

Sound Changes to Listen For

• Liaison in 한국에. The final ㄱ of 국 moves onto the silent ㅇ of 에, so 한국에 is [한구게]. See the lesson on liaison.
• Liaison in 싶어요. The final ㅍ of 싶 moves onto the silent ㅇ of 어, so 싶어요 is [시퍼요]. The ㅓ is said with unrounded lips, like "uh".
• Same rule in 서울에. The final ㄹ moves forward, so 서울에 is [서우레].

Clear sounds make your wish easy to follow, and the next section looks at when to use it.

When Should You Use 한국에 가고 싶어요, and When Should You Not?

Use 한국에 가고 싶어요 to talk about your own dream or plan, especially when you meet a Korean person. It is safe, friendly and often starts a longer conversation.

Situations Where It Fits

• Introducing yourself. After saying where you are from, add that you want to visit.
• With a language partner. It explains why you study Korean.
• Planning a trip. Talk about the city you want to see.

Situations to Avoid

• Talking about another person. -고 싶다 states your own wish. For a third person, say 한국에 가고 싶어 해요 (they want to go to Korea).
• Suggesting a trip together. For "let's go", use 가요 or, with friends, 가자, not -고 싶어요.
• Very formal writing. In an application or a speech, use 가고 싶습니다 instead.

Hearing the pattern in context makes it easier to use, so here are three exchanges.

What Does I Want to Go to Korea Sound Like in a Real Conversation?

The wish often comes after a question about your studies, your plans or your holidays. Listen for the pattern in each reply.

What to notice: the question 어디에서 has a wh-word, so it ends with a fall or a rise-fall. 연락하세요 is said [열라카세요], where ㄴ becomes ㄹ and ㄱ meets ㅎ to form ㅋ.

What to notice: 뭐 하고 싶어? is a wh-question, so it does not end with a sharp rise. Also note that 보고 싶어 can mean "I miss you" when the object is a person.

What to notice: the speaker uses 가 보다 twice, once to wish and once to say they have never tried it. Such conversations are common, and they reveal how Koreans react.

What Should You Know about the Culture behind Saying You Want to Visit?

Telling a Korean person that you want to visit Korea is a warm opening. It signals interest and often leads to advice.

• Warm reactions. Many people respond with suggestions of places and food, so be ready with a follow-up.
• Cities and regions. Naming a place, such as 부산 or 제주도, shows real interest.
• Your wish, not theirs. -고 싶다 states a first-person wish. For others, use -고 싶어 해요, as in 친구가 한국에 가고 싶어 해요 (my friend wants to go to Korea).
• 보고 싶어 is special. With a person as the object, 보고 싶어 means "I miss you", so avoid it with someone you barely know.

An expert insight: learners often use 원해요 for "I want" because it matches the English verb. Actually, 원하다 sounds stiff and bookish in everyday talk. The natural way to voice a personal wish is -고 싶어요. The mistakes below show other traps.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with I Want to Go to Korea in Korean?

Most mistakes come from the particle or from the verb for "want".

Learners often assume that 가고 싶어요 and 가 보고 싶어요 are the same. Actually, the second means you want to see it yourself, and it fits a first visit better.

Other Ways People Search for I Want to Go to Korea in Korean

People search for this idea in a few shapes. The short answers below cover each one.

• Want to visit Korea in Korean: 한국을 방문하고 싶어요 (hangugeul bangmunhago sipeoyo) is more formal; 한국에 가 보고 싶어요 is natural in speech.
• Travel to Korea in Korean: 한국으로 여행 가고 싶어요 (hangugeuro yeohaeng gago sipeoyo); 여행 is a trip.
• I want to visit in Korean: 가 보고 싶어요, with the place first.
• Romanized: hanguge gago sipeoyo, following the Revised Romanization of Korean; romanization is an aid, not the real spelling.

Reading the forms is one thing; saying them on cue is another, so practise now.

Practice: Say It Aloud

Play the slow clip of 한국에 가고 싶어요 and repeat it three times, linking [한구게] and [시퍼요]. Then replace 한국 with 서울 and say it again. Choose a phrase for each situation, and check the answers below.

1. A new Korean friend asks about your plans.
2. You tell a friend you want to live in Korea.
3. You write in a formal application that you want to study in Korea.

Answers

1. 한국에 가 보고 싶어요.
2. 한국에 살고 싶어.
3. 한국에 가고 싶습니다.

Drill these lines with the phrase flashcards, which include audio for each form.

Related Phrases to Learn Next

Talking about a trip leads to other small-talk phrases.

• I'm learning Korean in Korean: why you want to go.
• Where are you from in Korean: the usual question that follows.
• I'm lost in Korean: a useful phrase once you arrive.

This guide belongs to the Korean small talk collection. What this page does not cover: visa, flight and hotel vocabulary. Use 한국에 가고 싶어요 with 에, swap the verb for other wishes, and you will say I want to go to Korea in Korean naturally.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say I want to go to Korea in Korean?

Say 한국에 가고 싶어요 (hanguge gago sipeoyo). 한국 is Korea, 에 marks the destination, 가다 is to go and -고 싶어요 means "want to". To say you want to visit and see it, use 한국에 가 보고 싶어요. With friends, drop the -요 and say 한국에 가고 싶어.

How do you pronounce 한국에 가고 싶어요?

It sounds like [한구게 가고 시퍼요]. The final ㄱ of 국 moves onto the silent ㅇ of 에, giving [한구게], and the final ㅍ of 싶 moves onto 어, giving [시퍼요]. Revised Romanization writes the linked sounds as hanguge gago sipeoyo.

What is the difference between 한국에 가고 싶어요 and 한국에 가 보고 싶어요?

한국에 가고 싶어요 says you want to go there. 한국에 가 보고 싶어요 adds 보다, "to try", so it means you want to go and experience it, often for the first time. Both are polite. The second sounds curious and a little warmer, so Koreans often react to it with suggestions of places to see.

Is 한국에 가고 싶어요 formal or casual?

It is polite, in the everyday 해요 style. For a formal setting, such as a speech or an interview, say 한국에 가고 싶습니다. For friends and family, say 한국에 가고 싶어. The polite form is the best default with teachers, hosts and new acquaintances.

Can I use 한국에 가고 싶어요 with friends, elders and strangers?

Yes. The polite -요 ending suits elders and strangers, and it also works with friends if you want to be gentle. Drop the -요 only with close friends. The phrase states your own wish, so it is safe in every setting and often starts a pleasant conversation.

What is the most common mistake with I want to go to Korea in Korean?

The most common mistake is 한국에서 가고 싶어요. The particle 에서 marks where an action happens or starts, so it cannot mark where you go; say 한국에 가요. A second mistake is translating "want" as 원해요, which sounds stiff in conversation. Use -고 싶어요, the natural pattern for a personal wish.

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