Honest version, no marketing.

One year is four levels, roughly TOPIK 3–4 territory. At that point you can handle daily life comfortably, hold a real conversation about familiar topics, follow a drama with subtitles on and catch a lot without them, and read menus, signs and simple articles.

What you will not be at: business fluent, or able to work in a Korean-speaking office without help. That normally takes a second year plus real exposure.

The gap between students in the same class after a year is enormous, and it has almost nothing to do with talent. The ones who end up genuinely comfortable did three things: reviewed the same day instead of before the test, spoke outside class from week one, and stopped translating in their head around level 3.

If your goal is university entry, most degree programmes want TOPIK 3–4 — so one year of full-time study is a realistic target for that.