Localize App Store Screenshots to Korean
한국어
South Korea = ~50M smartphone users, among the highest per-capita App Store spend in the world.
Why Korean matters
South Korea punches far above its ~50M population as one of the highest per-capita App Store spenders on Earth. A trend-setting, design-obsessed market where a clumsy listing gets called out in reviews within hours. Hangul packs each syllable into a square block so text stays visually compact, but Korean word-spacing (띄어쓰기) is strict: mis-spaced copy reads as illiterate even when every character is correct.
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Localization tips for Korean
- 1 Use Pretendard, Noto Sans KR, or Apple SD Gothic Neo (the iOS default). Avoid generic pan-CJK fonts; Koreans spot a Japanese- or Chinese-flavored Hangul instantly.
- 2 Hangul is compact by character count but about the same visual width as English, so layouts stay intact. Expect only ~5% expansion or contraction.
- 3 Respect 띄어쓰기 (word spacing). Machine translators wrongly join or split words (할 수 있다 vs 할수있다), and wrong spacing reads as illiterate even when every syllable is right.
- 4 Match register: polite-informal 해요체 ("-요") for consumer apps, formal 합쇼체 ("-습니다") for finance and enterprise; blunt plain style (한다체) sounds curt in marketing.
- 5 Konglish is normal. 다운로드/Download and 앱/app coexist; forcing pure-Korean coinages (응용프로그램 for app) sounds stiff.
- 6 Don't break a line onto an orphaned particle. A stray 은/는/이/가/를 at the start of a line looks amateur; keep particles with their noun.
Fonts for Korean
Pretendard, Noto Sans KR, Apple SD Gothic Neo (iOS system). Pick a Korean-first family so the jamo proportions and the batchim (bottom consonant) sit correctly; a pan-CJK fallback renders Hangul but with subtly off vertical metrics and stroke terminals.
Most common mistake
Using a Chinese or Japanese font (or a generic pan-CJK fallback) for Korean. Hangul still renders, but the jamo proportions and stroke endings look subtly off to native readers. Always specify a Korean-first family like Pretendard or Apple SD Gothic Neo.
Korean localization FAQ
What App Store Connect locale code should I use for Korean?
Use ko when adding Korean (한국어) screenshots in App Store Connect or Google Play Console. Using the wrong code means your localized screenshots never reach Korean users.
Does text expansion affect Korean screenshot design?
Korean runs -40% vs English on average character count. You should design buttons and headlines with explicit overflow headroom, because text that fits in English will break in Korean.
Does Shotlingo automatically localize screenshots to Korean?
Yes. Shotlingo auto-translates your App Store screenshot text to Korean (한국어) with AI that respects text expansion, and platform-appropriate fonts. Export the localized bundle ready for App Store Connect locale ko.
Do I have to translate my App Store screenshots to Korean?
If Korean is a major market for your app, yes. Unlocalized screenshots significantly reduce conversion, because users scroll past copy they cannot read. Even partial localization (headlines only) typically beats English-only.
Localize your screenshots to Korean automatically
Shotlingo handles expansion, fonts, and App Store Connect locale codes for you. Free to try.
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