Korean Number Converter
Convert between Korean number units (만, 억, 조) and Western numbers — with a full breakdown of each part.
Why Korean numbers look different
English groups by 1,000s (thousand → million → billion). Korean groups by 10,000s — so there's no single word for "million."
Korean Number Units at a Glance
Korean groups numbers by 10,000 (만), not 1,000 like English. That's why Korean numbers don't map cleanly to millions and billions.
| Korean | Romanization | Value | Western equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 만 | man | 10,000 | 10 thousand |
| 십만 | simman | 100,000 | 100 thousand |
| 백만 | baengman | 1,000,000 | 1 million |
| 천만 | cheonman | 10,000,000 | 10 million |
| 억 | eok | 100,000,000 | 100 million |
| 조 | jo | 1,000,000,000,000 | 1 trillion |
Real-Life Examples
🏠 Seoul apartment (jeonse deposit)
5억 원 = 500,000,000 won ≈ $370,000 USD
💼 Korean annual salary
4,500만 원 = 45,000,000 won ≈ $33,000 USD (average office worker)
🍜 Convenience store meal
만 원 (10,000 won) — buys a lunchbox, ramen, and a drink with change to spare
🎤 K-pop album sales
2,000만 장 = 20,000,000 copies (twenty million)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 만 (man) in Korean numbers?
만 (萬) means 10,000 — ten thousand. Korean groups numbers in units of 10,000, not 1,000 like English. So instead of 'thousand' and 'million', Koreans count in 만, 십만 (100,000), 백만 (1,000,000), and 천만 (10,000,000).
What is 억 (eok) in Korean numbers?
억 (億) means 100,000,000 — one hundred million. There's no direct English equivalent. If you see a Korean apartment listed at 5억 원, that's 500,000,000 won (500 million won).
What is 조 (jo) in Korean numbers?
조 (兆) means 1,000,000,000,000 — one trillion. It appears in large economic figures like Korea's GDP or national budget.
How do I read Korean apartment prices?
Korean real estate prices are typically written in 억 and 만. For example: 3억 5천만원 = 350,000,000 won. Jeonse (전세) deposits for a Seoul apartment are often in the range of 3억–10억 won.
Why don't Korean numbers match English numbers?
Korean (and Chinese/Japanese) number systems group digits in units of 10,000 (만), while Western systems group by 1,000. This means 1 million in English has no single Korean unit — it's 100만 (hundred-man). The mismatch causes confusion for both sides.
What can you buy with 10,000 won in Korea?
10,000 won (만 원) is the most common everyday amount in Korea. It buys a standard restaurant meal (김치찌개, 된장찌개), a convenience store lunchbox + drink + snack, or 4 craft beers at the 4캔 만원 deal. At convenience stores, a triangle kimbap is around 1,200–1,500 won and cup ramen is about 1,200–1,800 won.
How do Koreans write large salaries and prices?
Koreans write salaries in 만 원 units. A monthly salary of 300만 원 = 3,000,000 won (about $2,200 USD). Annual salaries are often stated in 억 for high earners — '1억 연봉' means 100,000,000 won per year. Product prices over 10,000 won are written as e.g. 2만 5천원 (25,000 won).
How do I convert Korean won amounts to USD?
Use this converter to get the full number first, then divide by the current exchange rate (roughly 1,300–1,400 won per USD as of 2026). For example: 5억 원 = 500,000,000 won ÷ 1,350 ≈ $370,000 USD. Exchange rates fluctuate, so check a live rate for accuracy.