How I Learned Korean

After his Japanese girlfriend relationship ended, Korean guesthouse residents adopted him; he dated a woman fifteen years older and felt accepted. Jealousy and communication needs motivated him to study Korean through Japanese; within months, he and his girlfriend spoke mainly Korean. Her departure triggered crying, isolation, and abandoning language school; they later reunited repeatedly, including four Korean visits lasting three months.

Language learning again emerges from romantic attachment, with intimacy, belonging, jealousy, and loss driving sustained effort.