Learn Hardcore Korean: balpyoga got sijakdwaeyo. - The presentation will start soon.

-가 is the subject marker. It marks 발표 (the presentation) as the thing that is (about to) start.
So 발표가 시작돼요 = The presentation starts / is starting (with 발표 as the grammatical subject).

Could I use 발표는 instead of 발표가?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

발표가 곧 시작돼요. → neutral, straightforward: The presentation will start soon.
발표는 곧 시작돼요. → topic/contrast nuance: As for the presentation, it’ll start soon (possibly contrasting with something else, like the meeting or Q&A).

In announcements, -가 is very common and natural.

What does 곧 mean here, and how strong is it?

곧 means soon / shortly / in a moment.
It usually implies in the near future, often very soon in an announcement context (e.g., a minute or two), but it’s not an exact time like in 5 minutes.

Common similar options:

이제 곧 = very soon / any moment now
잠시 후에 = in a little while
곧바로 = right away / immediately (stronger than 곧)

Why is it 시작돼요 and not 시작해요?

Both exist, but they’re different verbs:

시작하다 → to start (something), more active/intentional
Example: 제가 발표를 시작해요. = I start the presentation.
시작되다 → to begin / to be started, more event-focused / passive-like
Example: 발표가 시작돼요. = The presentation begins.

Announcements often use 시작되다 because it focuses on the event starting (not who starts it).

What is the dictionary form of 시작돼요, and why does it look like that?

The dictionary form is 시작되다 (to begin / to be started).

Conjugation path:

시작되다 → 시작돼요 (polite present)
The 되 + 어요 combination is commonly contracted:
- 되어요 → 돼요 So 시작되어요 becomes 시작돼요 in everyday speech and writing.

Is this sentence present tense or future tense?

It’s grammatically present tense (-어요/-아요), but with 곧 it naturally reads as near-future in English: will start soon / is about to start.

If you want to make the future more explicit, you can say:

발표가 곧 시작될 거예요. = The presentation will start soon.

What politeness level is 시작돼요, and when would I use it?

-돼요 is the polite informal style (often called 해요체).
It’s appropriate for:

everyday conversation
announcements to a general audience
speaking to people you don’t know well (without being very formal)

More formal alternatives:

발표가 곧 시작됩니다. (formal, announcement style)
발표가 곧 시작될 예정입니다. (very formal, planned schedule tone)

How do I pronounce 발표가 곧 시작돼요 naturally?

A natural pronunciation is close to:

발표가: [발-표-가] (clear syllables)
곧: ends with a t sound [곧]
시작돼요: often sounds like [시작뙤요/시작돼요] depending on speaker, but you can safely pronounce it as written: 시-작-돼-요.

Also, Korean rhythm often groups it like:

발표가 곧 / 시작돼요 (brief pause possible after 곧 in announcements)

Can Korean drop 발표가 and just say 곧 시작돼요?

Yes. If the context already makes it obvious what is starting, Koreans often drop the subject:

곧 시작돼요. = It’ll start soon / It’s starting soon.

This is especially common right before an event begins.

Does 발표 mean a presentation, an announcement, or something else?

발표 usually means a presentation (like giving a talk) or an announcement of results (like 발표 of scores/results), depending on context.

In an event setting (seminar/class), 발표가 곧 시작돼요 almost always means The presentation will start soon.

If you specifically mean an announcement of results, you might see:

결과 발표가 곧 시작돼요. = The results announcement will start soon.

Are there other natural ways to say the same thing?

Yes, common alternatives include:

발표 곧 시작해요. (more casual; subject particle omitted)
발표가 이제 곧 시작돼요. (a bit more urgent: any moment now)
곧 발표 시작할게요. (speaker-oriented: We/I will start the presentation soon)
발표가 곧 시작됩니다. (formal announcement style)