HWP guides
Plain-English explanations of the Korean document formats you have been handed — what they are, why your software refuses them, and how to read them without installing Korean office software.
Your HWP file won't open — here's why
Why Word, Google Docs, and Preview all refuse .hwp files, and the fastest ways to read one.
HWP vs HWPX: what actually differs
One is a binary container, the other is XML in a ZIP — and the difference decides how well your file converts.
How to open HWP files on a Mac
Preview won't open it and Word can't import it. What actually works on macOS, ranked by effort.
How to open an HWP file in Google Docs
Docs can't read .hwp directly. Convert first — here's the route and what survives it.
Getting HWP text into a translator or AI tool
Why Markdown beats plain text and PDF when you need a Korean document summarized or translated.
How to open HWP files on iPhone and Android
No native support on either platform — here's the browser route, and how to get the file out of an attachment.
How to open HWP files on Linux
LibreOffice's importer only handles 1997-era files. What works on Linux, GUI and command line.
What survives when you convert an HWP file
Measured results from 82 real government documents — what converts reliably and what doesn't.
Sending HWP files to people outside Korea
Your recipient probably can't open .hwp. What to send instead, depending on what they need to do.