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This study aims at investigating the usefulness of paraphrasing exercises in Korean-language classes provided by graduate-level translation courses as a tool to assess students’ knowledge of subject and terminology in specialized areas, two major challenges facing them in translating the relevant texts (Hong, 2015). Based on the findings, this study seeks ways to improve the Korean-language curriculum to better help students enhance translation competence in such fields. To achieve the research goal, a Korean-language class was designed where students were asked to paraphrase texts in a variety of specialized areas such as finance/economy, law, and resources. The students were also asked to suggest English translations for some key phrases or words in the Korean source texts or their paraphrases, an activity devised to enhance the effect of paraphrasing exercises on improving translation competence. The major findings of the study are as follows: First, students’ paraphrases showed exactly which concepts and logic in a given subject area they did not accurately or sufficiently understand and which terminology they could not properly use. Second, students’ paraphrases also revealed their insufficient knowledge of subject or terminology even when their translations were acceptable, which indicates that paraphrasing exercises in Korean-language classes can serve as a useful tool to precisely identify the areas where students have insufficient knowledge that may go unnoticed in translation classes. By accurately assess students’ knowledge like this, teachers can better prepare the necessary education for each student and therefore help him or her improve translation competence in specialized fields.