38 In Korean learning journey (:/ korean studying tools

How to view HWP files on mac

I’ve just spent a frustrating 20 minutes trying to find a way to open .hwp files on mac and finally I found a solution! (I even discovered something really cool and useful – more on that another time)
For those who don’t know, .hwp files are very common in Korea and it’s from a Korean word processor software.

Don’t bother downloading any weird software if you just wanna view (and not edit) the files! THINKFREE is one of those online sites with word processors functions and it allows you to open .hwp files (among others) online without even the need to sign up for an account. The best thing is, you can even convert the.hwp file into a .pdf file such that you can view it offline!

I’m too lazy to do a tutorial. The 3 main functions you will need are on the right, 1st row of the 3 icons.

문서보기: view documents
PDF 변환: convert to PDF
HWP 보기: read HWP documents

How cool can things get?

I have yet to explore other functions, will do so soon! (:

In case you are curious why I was searching for a way to open .hwp files, the answer is:

I found Secret Garden (시크릿가든)’s drama script!! 😀 😀 and it’s in .hwp format.

Ep 1-2 : CLICK HERE
The rest: CLICK HERE

NOTE: The 2nd link is a Naver cafe and it requires you to have a naver ID and to join the cafe before being able to download the scripts. I have yet to finish downloading, so I’m not sure if they have the full 20 episodes (looks like it though). It’s not very nice to take the scripts and upload it elsewhere, so please don’t ask me for it ^^ If I’m not wrong, they are all fanmade and that must have taken alot of effort. There are loads of drama scripts in that cafe~!

NOTE: The first link contains .txt files. They can be read online directly but you may to have to change the encoding of your browser if you see funny symbols instead ^^

I’m gonna spend my free time looking at the scripts and trying to speak like 주원 hehehe. 꺄~!

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38 Comments

  • Reply
    Kendra
    6 February, 2011 at 11:58 PM

    Thanks for this!
    One thing though, when I tried to open the hwp files on the Korean version of ThinkFree, it kept giving me an error and wouldn’t open. Luckily, I switched to the English version and it worked fine. Weird.

  • Reply
    thdwlsdn
    9 February, 2011 at 3:15 AM

    Now, what about editing hwp files? I can’t think of anything solution besides buying 한컴오피스.

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      11 February, 2011 at 10:48 PM

      i’ve came across another solution that claims to be able to edit hwp files too. will post again once i try it out!

    • Reply
      Jude
      1 January, 2018 at 1:50 PM

      Hey, I know this is an old thread but appreciate any advice on hwp editing. I need to edit hwp files on my Macbook. Is there any software I can download or even buy?

  • Reply
    mishmash
    9 February, 2011 at 11:31 PM

    do you need to pay for 한컴오피스?
    I have it on my laptop and it’s a full working version. I thought it was available for free?

    • Reply
      thdwlsdn
      10 February, 2011 at 5:55 AM

      I believe you have to pay for 한컴오피스. If you bought a laptop in Korea, then the software is probably included in the purchase price.

      The only time I used 한컴오피스 was when I used my university’s computers when I was an exchange student in Korea. Apparently, 한컴 makes 한컴오피스 and Thinkfree Office. I’ve only used the free 한컴오피스 viewer, so I not sure if the Thinkfree Office software available on their English site will also allow you to edit hwp files.

      I guess the best option would be to install Thinkfree Office for myself and see.

      Here’s a link, by the way: http://www.hancom.co.kr/hancom/eng/product/product01_01.jsp

  • Reply
    mishmash
    12 February, 2011 at 1:08 AM

    Hm. My laptop has the korean edition of windows 7, not too sure my 한컴오피스 came with or was installed by my friend. I don’t have much use for it though other than as a viewer.

    Btw, just curious but how’s your typing speed in korean? I’ve been playing around with this program from hancom but it gets pretty boring as you keep typing the same thing over and over.

    Do you know any typing games which we can download and play offline?

    • Reply
      thdwlsdn
      13 February, 2011 at 8:15 AM

      My typing speed is decent, but is nothing compared to how quickly I’ve seen Koreans type. Chatting with friends on 네이트온 is good practice, though. I’ve also been using the chatrooms in a program called 토크온 offered by 네이트 and I find it hard to keep up there when typing or reading. I’d like to say it’s just the slang slowing me down, though. 😉

      Do you feel like 한컴’s typing practice helped you at all?

      If you look up 타자 연습 you get a lot of results, so here are a few links that look helpful:
      http://muzbox.tistory.com/95
      http://www.tajamaster.com/index.php
      http://moogi.new21.org/prg5.html

      I haven’t used any typing program before, but I hope you find something that suits you.)

  • Reply
    liyieng
    12 February, 2011 at 3:00 PM

    weeyee!!! tks for sharing this!
    i was so frustrated tat time when PNU sent a .hwp file to me and i cant view it on mac!!
    i gave up in the end so till now i still dont kwow what is that ㅋ

  • Reply
    klarisse
    9 March, 2011 at 2:41 PM

    You don’t know how much this post saved me!!

    Thank you so much! it’s my first time to visit your blog and I admire you so much for it. Despite being younger than me! Haha. 😛

    BTW I’m from Manila but I’m visiting Singapre next week Monday and Tuesday. Any chance of a meet up? 🙂

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      10 March, 2011 at 10:53 PM

      Awesome! is this your first time in SG? ^^ i wish we could meetup but school is keeping me too busy. ):
      I think the site is having some temporary problems. It used to work fine for me but when i tried it a few days ago, i have the same problems too

  • Reply
    klarisse
    9 March, 2011 at 3:03 PM

    On second thought, i keep getting this problem:
    Sorry. This document is not viewable because an error occurred while communicating with the conversion server. 🙁

  • Reply
    PK Son
    12 March, 2011 at 1:20 PM

    Here’s another option (for both reading and editing): if you have a Naver ID, go to NDrive, and you can read and edit documents on the drive itself (you might have to allow Naver to initiate the N-Documents plugin or something).

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      12 March, 2011 at 7:09 PM

      oh! thanks for the tip ^^ i’ll go try it out 😀

  • Reply
    Dream
    14 May, 2011 at 1:23 AM

    Thank you so much for the idea. I’ve converted the hwp file to pdf and then copy the content from the pdf to TextEdit (comes with mac) and save it as a plain txt file. Now I can edit too. Your post was very very helpful.

    Any idea on how to sign up for the Naver Cafe? The site is all in Korean and I can’t figure it out…

    Thank you.

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      17 May, 2011 at 12:26 PM

      Hi! Glad u found the info useful (: You have to sign up with naver for an account before u can join any cafe. i’ll try to do up a tutorial on it but a full tutorial is a little difficult as they do not allow multiple accounts per person

  • Reply
    alaska
    26 May, 2011 at 9:57 PM

    Hi Shanna
    Could you do a post on how to convert HWP file? I tried using the Thinkfree, but it doesn’t work. : (

    Your second link on Secret Garden Script.
    http://cafe.naver.com/tvtvtv.cafe?iframe_url=/ArticleRead.nhn%3Farticleid=5383

    Logged in to naver but still can’t view? Any idea why is that so? Are you able to view all the posts in this cafe?

    Thanks for your help!

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      26 May, 2011 at 10:07 PM

      Hi!

      You have to join that cafe before you can view the script ^^ click on 회원가입 on the left column

      mmm I think there’s something wrong with the hwp conversion function now. i dint manage to do it too. it’s not very stable yet, the other time it even had troubles opening the hwp file O.o

  • Reply
    Jennifer
    4 June, 2011 at 3:03 AM

    I can’t seem to figure out the Naver sign-up thing so if someone would be great and send me the scripts through email, I would really appreciate it!!!! I really want to read them and honestly, I would never post it somewhere else (I can’t even register for an account with a korean site – what chance do I have?)

    Please please please!!!

    My email is: agentamigo@yahoo.com

    Thanks to anyone who can help. I want to learn Korean and I just discovered this show and would like to follow along.

  • Reply
    Wang Soo [ワン・スー]
    31 July, 2011 at 10:55 PM

    This helps me a lot! Thank you so much!

  • Reply
    WineOtaku
    18 August, 2011 at 5:26 PM

    There used to be a (light) version of HWP for Mac, and if memory serves, a plugin for Word. All this has gone the way of the dodo. I used to work for a company that dealt with libraries – and these bloody librarians would complain when we asked them to send in Excel files… Seriously…

    • Reply
      hangukdrama
      18 August, 2011 at 9:42 PM

      haha! alot of the course outlines in KU are in hwp format and I get SO ANNOYED when I see them D:

  • Reply
    josh!
    30 August, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    brilliant. so glad that you posted this, now i can read my contract!

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    11 September, 2011 at 12:16 AM

    how to download SG script?

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    28 September, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    can someone send me the scripts, i tried to register to naver. i got to the point of registering, but i got stuck and i dont know what to do,i just kept pressing and typing randomly just to get registered, please i’d appreciate it if someone can send me the scripts, im learning korean and no korean drama has hangul subs just english, my email is mayer_2816@yahoo.com, i know it’s not right to send me the scripts when it belongs to someone else’s web, but if they had an english version of the page, i’d get it straight from there, sadly they don’t,,,

  • Reply
    Michiees
    25 October, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    Hi! I haf problem signing up for naver and couldn’t download the scripts! Any kind soul willing to send me the scripts for Secret Garden? Pretty pleasssse….. 🙂

  • Reply
    Michiees
    25 October, 2011 at 10:59 AM

    Oh! My email is dzeri_77@hotmail.com!

    Thanks in advance! 😀

  • Reply
    tine
    28 October, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    Thank you so much! 🙂 yeah i switched to English version and it worked well without any errors.. thanks again that was my lifesaver haha

  • Reply
    Passerby
    2 November, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    Just passing by. If you’re on a mac, you can also try an app called “Hancom Office Hanword Viewer”, which lets you read (or write on) .hwp files.

    Neat blog, by the way!

  • Reply
    Bio
    23 November, 2011 at 12:40 AM

    Hi!

    You can also put the hwp files in Google Docs (if you have a Google account) then just download it as doc if you want it converted. That’s how I do it.

  • Reply
    MSC
    23 November, 2011 at 4:55 PM

    Hi there.
    I am a Korean guy, and was roaming the web and found this.
    To open HWP files, you need a hangul viewer, which is also made in English.
    You can download it at http://cdn.hancom.co.kr/pds/hnc/VIE/HOfficeViewer2010_enu.exe

    Also, Hangul is commonly included in OEM pcs, and if you buy 한컴오피스 Hancom Office, you get a office suite of HanShow (like PowerPoint or Impress), HanCell (like Excel or Cells), Hangul (like Word or Write), Hancom Typewriting Practice, and Hancom Dictionary (Korean English, Chinese, Japanese, etc)

    I’m using Hancom Office in daily basis, and I think they are quite good. Cost-worthy when you buy them in promotion sales lol

  • Reply
    MSC
    23 November, 2011 at 4:57 PM

    oh bad link :0

    this is the link http://www.hancom.co.kr/hancom/eng/product/product01_01.jsp
    sorry 🙂

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    15 December, 2011 at 7:43 PM

    Hi! Is naver free??

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    16 December, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    Hi ! Can I know how you joined the cafe?

  • Reply
    mydramareviews
    20 February, 2012 at 2:32 AM

    Thank you so much for this info. Now I can view everything I want and it’s not just gonna be fun it’s gonna be useful. Thank you : )

  • Reply
    kdgrandma
    5 April, 2012 at 10:58 AM

    Google docs worked fine for conversion until about one month ago. Now it doesn’t convert hwp documents to Word anymore!. I bought an OCR program on closeout sale of READIRIS 11.0 so I converted the hwp to pdf image files, then used ReadIris to convert to a Word document.
    I’m a member of Naver but I can’t figure out how to join the cafe which has scripts in Hngul — I would really appreciate a step by step on how to do that!

  • Reply
    holdingrabbits
    9 May, 2012 at 7:03 PM

    Reblogged this on Ramen Water and commented:
    Hey there. This is a great post that might be helpful for those of you here in Korea who get weird hwp from co-workers. The hwp files are from a microsoft word ripoff that only comes in Korean and doesn’t play nice with other programs. So hope this helps.

  • Reply
    tess
    9 July, 2012 at 12:23 AM

    hey, i cant find the link for the scripts, but since you guys hv mentioned tht i need to login naver 1st, hw do i register? i dun knw how…pls help txxx XD

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