Can Image AI Render Korean (Hangul) Correctly? We Gave 4 Models the Same Prompt
When AI generates signs or notices containing Korean (Hangul), the characters often come out wrong. We gave 4 models the same prompt through Higgsfield and checked each character at the original resolution to see whether the target Korean (Hangul) text was rendered accurately.
Run on 2026-10-04
At a Glance
- Short phrase (6 Korean (Hangul) characters): Z Image, GPT Image 2.5, and Seedream 5.0 Flash were all accurate. Nano Banana (1st generation) got 3 of the 6 characters wrong ('오늘의 커피' → '알늘의 카펴').
- Long notice (17 Korean (Hangul) characters, 3 lines): GPT Image 2.5 and Seedream 5.0 Flash were accurate. Z Image got 7 characters wrong, changed '~' to '>', and added a line ('매적') that was not in the prompt.
- In this test, GPT Image 2.5 was accurate in both attempts while using the fewest credits (0.25 credits per image, low quality). The cheapest model, Z Image (0.15 credits), got the short phrase right but the long text wrong.
Test 1 — Café Chalkboard Menu (Short Phrase)
- Target Text
- 오늘의 커피 / 4,500원
- Original Prompt
A minimalist chalkboard cafe menu sign hanging on a wooden wall, photorealistic, soft daylight. The sign reads exactly, in Korean, two lines: "오늘의 커피" on the first line and "4,500원" on the second line. No other text.
Z Image · Tongyi-MAI
Correct Korean (Hangul) Characters: 6/6
Rendered Text: 오늘의 커피 / 4,500원
Credits 0.15 · 1:1 · 2048×2048 · About 21 seconds
GPT Image 2.5 · OpenAI
Correct Korean (Hangul) Characters: 6/6
Rendered Text: 오늘의 커피 / 4,500원
Credits 0.25 · flare · low · 1k · 1:1 · 1024×1024 · About 20 seconds
Seedream 5.0 Flash · ByteDance
Correct Korean (Hangul) Characters: 6/6
Rendered Text: 오늘의 커피 / 4,500원
Credits 0.5 · 1k · 1:1 · 1024×1024 · About 29 seconds
Nano Banana · Google
Correct Korean (Hangul) Characters: 3/6
Rendered Text: 알늘의 카펴 / 4,500원
Credits 1 · 1:1 · 1024×1024 · About 32 seconds
Test 2 — Shop Door Notice (Long Text)
- Target Text
- 영업시간 / 오전 9시 ~ 오후 6시 / 매주 월요일 휴무
- Original Prompt
A printed paper notice taped to a glass shop door, photorealistic, close-up. The notice reads exactly, in Korean, three lines: "영업시간" / "오전 9시 ~ 오후 6시" / "매주 월요일 휴무". No other text.
Z Image · Tongyi-MAI
Correct Korean (Hangul) Characters: 10/17
Rendered Text: 영업사간 / 오젼 9시 > 오루 6시 / 매조 얼요얼 휴루 / 매적
Changed '~' to '>' and added a line that was not in the prompt.
Credits 0.15 · 1:1 · 2048×2048
GPT Image 2.5 · OpenAI
Correct Korean (Hangul) Characters: 17/17
Rendered Text: 영업시간 / 오전 9시 ~ 오후 6시 / 매주 월요일 휴무
Credits 0.25 · flare · low · 1k · 1:1 · 1024×1024
Seedream 5.0 Flash · ByteDance
Correct Korean (Hangul) Characters: 17/17
Rendered Text: 영업시간 / 오전 9시 ~ 오후 6시 / 매주 월요일 휴무
Credits 0.5 · 1k · 1:1 · 1024×1024
How We Measured
- Run date: 2026-10-04. Images were generated using credits from a Higgsfield subscription paid for directly by the site operator. The credit costs were those shown by Higgsfield before generation and matched the balance before and after testing (3.1 → 0.3, a total of 2.8 credits for 7 images).
- We generated 1 image per model in each test (7 images total), with no regenerations. The aspect ratio was 1:1; all other settings were left at their defaults except those listed in the table.
- Prompts described the scene in English and placed the Korean (Hangul) text to render inside quotes. The original prompts are published below unchanged.
- For scoring, we zoomed in at the original resolution to check whether each Korean (Hangul) syllable in the target text was rendered accurately in the correct position. Numbers and symbols were recorded separately and excluded from the score.
- The site operator recorded approximate elapsed times only for the first test (from simultaneous submission of the four images until the result files were saved on the server).
Limitations of This Test
- We generated only 1 image per model in each test. Regenerating with the same prompt can produce different results, so these results show 'what happened this time', not 'what always happens'.
- Nano Banana is the 1st-generation model. Its successors (Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro) cost at least 1.5 credits per image, so we did not test them this time. We also excluded Nano Banana from test 2 because we lacked enough credits.
- These results were generated through Higgsfield. Settings and results may differ when using each company's app directly.
- Credits are based on Higgsfield's pricing and differ from the prices charged directly by each company.
Which Tool Should You Use?
The following reflects the site operator's opinion based on these test results.
- For images where text matters, such as Korean (Hangul) signs, menus, and notices, start with GPT Image 2.5 or Seedream 5.0 Flash, both of which were accurate in both tests.
- For images without text or with only a very short title, the cheapest model, Z Image, may be sufficient.
- Whichever model you use, zoom in closely and check every character before using an image containing text. This test also produced several characters that looked plausible but were wrong.