Korean content on YouTube is massive—from K-dramas to K-pop to educational content. Getting Korean transcripts helps with language learning, content creation, and accessibility.
Korean Transcript Availability
By Content Type
| Content Type | Auto-Caption Support | Manual Subs Common |
|---|
| K-pop MVs | Rare (music) | Sometimes |
| Korean lectures | Good | Often |
| K-drama clips | Medium | Official channels yes |
| News content | Good | Yes |
| Variety shows | Medium | Fan subs sometimes |
| Korean YouTubers | Good | Often |
YouTube Korean Caption Quality
Korean auto-captions have improved significantly:
- Accuracy: 80-90% for clear speech
- Challenges: Rapid speech, dialects, slang
- Best for: News, lectures, clear speech content
Method 1: NoteLM.ai
Works for any Korean YouTube video with captions.
Steps
- 1.Copy Korean video URL
- 2.Open NoteLM.ai
- 3.Paste URL → "Get Transcript"
- 4.Select Korean (한국어) if multiple languages
- 5.Copy or download
Korean Character Support
NoteLM.ai fully supports Hangul (한글):
- Proper character encoding
- Clean text output
- Download as TXT file
Method 2: YouTube Native (Korean Interface)
Access Korean Transcript
- 1.Go to YouTube video
- 2.Click three-dot menu (점 세 개)
- 3."자막 보기" (Show transcript)
- 4.Korean text appears in panel
Copy Korean Text
- 1.Click in transcript panel
- 2.Ctrl+A / Cmd+A (select all)
- 3.Ctrl+C / Cmd+C (copy)
- 4.Paste to your document
Method 3: yt-dlp for Korean
Command for Korean Captions
# Download Korean auto-generated captions
yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-lang ko --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"
# Download manual Korean subtitles
yt-dlp --write-sub --sub-lang ko --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"
# Both if available
yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --write-sub --sub-lang ko --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"
Output
Creates: video_title.ko.vtt or video_title.ko.srt
Korean for Language Learning
Study Workflow
1. Watch video with Korean subs
2. Extract transcript
3. Identify unknown vocabulary
4. Create flashcards
5. Practice reading transcript
6. Re-watch without subtitles
Creating Vocabulary Lists
From transcript, extract:
## Vocabulary from [Video Title]
| 한국어 | Romanization | English |
|-------|--------------|---------|
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | Hello |
| 감사합니다 | gamsahamnida | Thank you |
| 좋아요 | joayo | I like it / Good |
Look for patterns in transcripts:
Pattern: -고 싶다 (want to)
Examples from transcript:
- 가고 싶어요 (I want to go)
- 먹고 싶어요 (I want to eat)
Romanization Help
Use AI tools to add romanization:
Prompt: "Add romanization to this Korean transcript:
[Korean text]"
K-Drama Content
Finding Transcripts
Official channels:
- Netflix Korea clips
- KBS, MBC, SBS official
- Viki Rakuten clips
These often have accurate Korean subs.
Fan uploads:
- May or may not have subs
- Quality varies
Drama Study Method
- 1.Watch scene with subs
- 2.Extract transcript of scene
- 3.Study dialogue
- 4.Practice speaking lines
- 5.Re-watch for comprehension
K-Pop Content
Challenges
- Music videos: Lyrics, not spoken
- Interviews: Better for transcripts
- Behind-the-scenes: Casual speech
Best K-Pop Content for Transcripts
| Content | Transcript Quality |
|---|
| Interviews | Good |
| Vlogs | Good |
| Fan meetings | Medium |
| MVs | N/A (lyrics) |
| Dance practice | Limited speech |
VLIVE/Weverse Content
When re-uploaded to YouTube:
- Original Korean subs may transfer
- Quality depends on uploader
Technical Considerations
Hangul Encoding
Ensure proper UTF-8 handling:
- Download tools support Unicode
- Text editors show Korean correctly
- Watch for encoding issues
Checking Encoding
# Check file encoding
file -I transcript.txt
# Convert if needed (Linux/Mac)
iconv -f EUC-KR -t UTF-8 transcript.txt > transcript_utf8.txt
Proper Display
If Korean appears as boxes (□□□):
- 1.Install Korean fonts
- 2.Use UTF-8 encoding
- 3.Try different text editor
Translation Workflows
Korean to English
Option 1: AI Translation
Prompt: "Translate this Korean transcript to English,
preserving natural phrasing:
[Korean transcript]"
Option 2: DeepL/Papago
- Paste Korean text
- Get English translation
- Good for initial understanding
Option 3: Side-by-side
| Korean | English |
|--------|---------|
| 안녕하세요 | Hello |
| 오늘 영상을... | Today's video... |
YouTube Auto-Translate
- 1.Click CC on video
- 2.Settings gear → Subtitles
- 3."Auto-translate"
- 4.Select English (or other language)
Translation quality varies significantly.
Accuracy Considerations
Korean Auto-Caption Challenges
| Challenge | Impact |
|---|
| Rapid speech | More errors |
| Dialects (사투리) | May misinterpret |
| Slang/new words | Not recognized |
| Names (이름) | Often wrong |
| English loanwords | Mixed results |
Improving Accuracy
- 1.Look for videos with manual subs
- 2.Verify names and proper nouns
- 3.Check unfamiliar words in dictionary
- 4.Cross-reference with other sources
Popular Korean Content Categories
Educational
- Korean language lessons
- University lectures
- Documentary content
Entertainment
- K-drama clips and analysis
- K-pop content and interviews
- Variety show segments
News and Current Affairs
- KBS News
- YTN
- Arirang (Korean + English)
Q1Why are some Korean videos missing transcripts?
Either: no captions were generated, the creator disabled them, or the content is too music-heavy for speech recognition. Try official channel versions or fan-subbed alternatives.
Q2How accurate is Korean auto-captioning?
80-90% for clear speech content like news and lectures. Lower for rapid casual speech, dialects, or content with background noise. Always verify important content.
Q3Can I get both Korean and English transcripts?
If the video has both caption tracks, yes. Download Korean with --sub-lang ko and English with --sub-lang en. Or use YouTube's translate feature (quality varies).
Q4Best resource for Korean learning with transcripts?
Korean lecture content and news have the clearest speech and most accurate auto-captions. K-drama fan clips often have quality manual subs. Start with slower, clearer content.
Q5How do I handle Korean text in my documents?
Ensure your system has Korean fonts installed and your editor uses UTF-8 encoding. Most modern apps handle Korean well, but older software may have issues.
Korean YouTube transcripts are accessible for most content with captions. Use NoteLM.ai for quick extraction, yt-dlp for batch processing, and AI tools for translation help. For language learning, focus on clear speech content (news, lectures) initially, then progress to casual content as comprehension improves.
Quick workflow:
- 1.Find Korean video with captions
- 2.Extract via NoteLM.ai
- 3.Study vocabulary and patterns
- 4.Use AI for translation help
- 5.Practice reading and listening together
화이팅! (Good luck!) Start extracting Korean transcripts today!