koreanize-matplotlib

What it is and what it does

koreanize-matplotlib is a lightweight wrapper around matplotlib that automatically configures Korean font rendering. When imported after matplotlib, it sets up the Nanum Gothic font to display Korean characters correctly in plots, eliminating the need for manual font configuration. It solves the common problem of Korean text appearing as boxes or garbled characters in matplotlib visualizations.

The package requires only matplotlib as a dependency and installs as a pure Python wheel with no compiled components. It works by patching matplotlib's font settings on import, so you simply add `import koreanize_matplotlib` after your matplotlib imports and Korean text in titles, labels, and annotations will render properly.

Use it for:

• Creating scientific plots with Korean axis labels and titles for Korean-language papers or reports
• Building data visualization dashboards that display Korean text without manual font setup
• Generating matplotlib figures in Jupyter notebooks with Korean annotations and legends
• Automating Korean text rendering in batch plotting scripts without per-plot font configuration

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Automatically configures matplotlib to display Korean text correctly by setting up appropriate fonts and encoding when imported.

Yes, if you need Korean text in matplotlib plots and want to avoid manual font configuration. The low install friction, permissive license, and zero security vulnerabilities make it a straightforward addition. The dormant maintenance status is not a blocker for a simple font-setup utility, but verify compatibility with your specific matplotlib version and Korean text use case before relying on it in production.

Install

koreanize-matplotlib on PyPI

pip install koreanize-matplotlib

uv add koreanize-matplotlib

poetry add koreanize-matplotlib

Installing koreanize-matplotlib

Before you install

Low friction installation with a single runtime dependency on matplotlib. The package is dormant (last release December 2022, no commits since October 2024), but the repository remains active and unarchived with modest community interest (60 stars).

License in practice

MIT License permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it safe to adopt in most projects.

Quickstart

pip install koreanize-matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import koreanize_matplotlib

plt.title('그래프 제목')
plt.show()

Verify before relying

• Whether the bundled Nanum Gothic font works across all operating systems without additional system font installation
• Compatibility with recent matplotlib versions beyond what the fact sheet confirms
• Whether Korean text rendering persists across different plot backends and export formats

Package facts

Evidence: koreanize_matplotlib-0.1.1-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

More Graphics packages