Well, there's a slight difference between Hangeul (alphabet) and Hangugeo (actual language). I've dominated Hangeul and I can read and transliterate/transcribe anything both ways (to and from), but I'm still developing my skills in Hangugeo, building vocabulary and studying some rules on how to form sentences. Let's admit, is kinda impossible to watch many dramas/variety/interviews and NOT learn the most popular expressions and slangs. I also encounter myself in that position of speaking random Korean words with friends/family, the most awkward moment was when I accidentally said "ne" meaning yes/yeah/right and my friend interpreted as "meh" and got mad at me. Most of my friends have already picked up the meaning of wae, eomeo, jinjja, andwae, aigo, though.
I do intend to go to ROK whenever I'm able to do so. I was thinking in moving there and sticked with the idea for a very long time, but all the thing with being stigmatized as waeguk forever (despite fluency or assimilation) made me think twice and now I intend to move to LA and only visit South Korea 2~3 months at a time (visa-free period limit, lol).
I think I talk too much when I'm excited and my story of how I've came to study Korean will be too damn long, there were many variables, so let's try to keep it short. One of them is really accessibility: I have a Samsung smartphone that came with a Hangeul layout keyboard and... Oh right, that was how it alI started, trying to write the lyrics of some random TVXQ! song in my status. I find the input system interesting. I was still studying Japanese at that time, so it seemed a lot easier than the hiragana input, why not try to learn it.
I also keep in touch by watching and subtitling dramas, mostly from pre-existent English subs to my first language (Portuguese), but in some cases I was able to translate without engsubs. Doesn't seem like it helps, but trust me, it helps a lot, it's a rewatch with you focusing in one sentence at a time and working with the meanings. Big opportunity if you know another language besides English.
What motivates me everyday is the thought of being able to watch simulcasts of dramas without having to wait for anyone, understanding song lyrics without having to look up (or, again, wait for someone to translate) and, of course, being able to speak with Korean natives. I get excited just by thinking.
*Other languages not mentioned that I happen to have studied in the past: French and Spanish (mandatory classes in my middle and high school), Japanese (I was a total weeaboo once, you can see the marks that remain today in my username). Nowdays I like have some fun learning Mandarin and Cantonese. My original motivation was to speak with Chinese imigrants here in my hometown, then for fun, then I saw I could actually use that to help me with the understanding of Hanja. I do not regret one bit having started it.
