Turn a notice into five concrete questions

A notice on a museum door may look difficult because it packs several pieces of information into a few short lines. You rarely need to translate every word to decide what to do. The useful questions are simpler: which place is affected, what is changing, and when does the change apply?

For example, 임시 휴관 tells you that a facility is temporarily closed, while 동쪽 출입문 통제 concerns the east entrance. Those messages have different consequences. One may mean postponing your visit; the other may simply mean using another door. This lesson helps you read the words around the headline so you can tell the difference.

Recognise six high-value notice words

Public notices often use compact nouns instead of conversational sentences. 휴관 usually refers to a facility such as a museum or cultural center being closed; 출입 금지 tells you that entry is prohibited. 시설 점검 gives a reason—a facility inspection—but does not, by itself, tell you whether every room is closed.

The details around these words matter. In 운영 시간 변경, the opening hours are changing. Look for the date or time that follows before assuming the new hours already apply. 임시 means temporary, but it does not promise that the place will reopen at a particular time. If no reopening time appears, that information still needs to be checked.

Read the ending for the requested action

The endings on notices can sound more formal than the Korean you hear at a café. 이용을 중단해 주시기 바랍니다 is a polite written request to stop using something. In this setting, 바랍니다 is part of an instruction; translating it word for word as ‘we hope’ can make the notice sound weaker than intended.

들어가지 마십시오 directly tells readers not to enter. 이용할 수 없습니다 describes something that is unavailable, and 변경될 예정입니다 says a change is scheduled. The last expression points to a plan, so the attached date is especially useful: 다음 주부터 means ‘starting next week,’ rather than ‘as of now.’

Confirm the scope of a closure

The visitor asks whether the main entrance is restricted too: 정문도 출입이 통제되나요? The small particle 도 carries that ‘too.’ The reply 동문만 identifies the east gate as the only entrance affected. Listening for 도 and 만 helps you keep the scope of the restriction clear.

The follow-up question, 정문은 지금 이용할 수 있나요?, checks the alternative instead of guessing. 오후까지 gives a general time limit, but it is not a precise clock time. If you need to know when that gate will reopen, a further question such as 몇 시부터 이용할 수 있나요? asks when you can use it again.

Find the issue date and responsible organization

In the reading passage, the cultural center is not completely closed. The first-floor exhibition room is unavailable from nine until noon, while the classrooms and information desk operate normally. The east entrance is restricted, so visitors are directed to the main entrance. Separating the room restriction from the entrance restriction is what makes the notice useful.

The last two sentences add a condition and a future announcement. Finishing the inspection early does not automatically reopen the exhibition room: the facility check must also be complete. 공지될 예정이다 means the reopening time will be announced. It does not give that time yet. This is a good example of why the final lines of a notice can matter as much as its title.

Correct likely misunderstandings

A common reading mistake is to treat one restricted area as though the whole building were closed. Words such as 일부, 정상적으로, and 만 help you avoid that: they mean ‘some,’ ‘normally,’ and ‘only.’ In this passage, 정상적으로 운영된다 tells you that certain services continue despite the inspection.

Another mistake is to turn a scheduled event into a completed one. 변경될 예정입니다 and 다시 공지될 예정이다 describe what is expected to happen later. When you need to act now, look for the current availability and a specific starting date, rather than relying on the word 예정 alone.

Read a fictional community-center notice

This passage is original and written for this lesson. Use it to trace who did what, when, with what evidence and with what level of certainty.

Try it in a familiar situation

A small listening check

References and useful next steps

• Korean–English Learners’ Dictionary — Check meanings, usage labels, conjugated examples and human recordings for the lesson vocabulary.

Reviewed September 4, 2026. Found a mistake? Send a correction.