diff --git a/mempalace/dialect.py b/mempalace/dialect.py
index 3c51c52..b72c52c 100644
--- a/mempalace/dialect.py
+++ b/mempalace/dialect.py
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ class Dialect:
         return cls(
             entities=config.get("entities", {}),
             skip_names=config.get("skip_names", []),
-            lang=config.get("lang"),
+            lang=config.get("lang", "en"),
         )
 
     def save_config(self, config_path: str):
diff --git a/mempalace/i18n/ko.json b/mempalace/i18n/ko.json
index 4ff37c7..bb8aea1 100644
--- a/mempalace/i18n/ko.json
+++ b/mempalace/i18n/ko.json
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
     "status_palace": "궁전: {path}",
     "status_wings": "날개 {count}개",
     "status_closets": "벽장 {count}개",
-    "status_drawers": "서랍 {drawers}개",
+    "status_drawers": "서랍 {count}개",
     "init_complete": "{path}에 궁전 초기화 완료",
     "init_exists": "{path}에 궁전이 이미 존재합니다",
     "repair_complete": "수리 완료. {fixed}개 문제 해결.",
diff --git a/mempalace/i18n/test_i18n.py b/tests/test_i18n.py
similarity index 81%
rename from mempalace/i18n/test_i18n.py
rename to tests/test_i18n.py
index e362c26..50e0044 100644
--- a/mempalace/i18n/test_i18n.py
+++ b/tests/test_i18n.py
@@ -1,11 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""Quick smoke test for i18n dictionaries + Dialect integration."""
-
-import sys
-from pathlib import Path
-
-# Add parent to path so we can import mempalace
-sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]))
+"""Smoke tests for i18n dictionaries + Dialect integration."""
 
 from mempalace.i18n import load_lang, t, available_languages
 from mempalace.dialect import Dialect
@@ -75,10 +68,19 @@ def test_dialect_compress_samples():
     print("  PASS: compression works for all sample languages")
 
 
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    print("i18n smoke tests:")
-    test_all_languages_load()
-    test_interpolation()
-    test_dialect_loads_lang()
-    test_dialect_compress_samples()
-    print("\nAll tests passed.")
+def test_korean_status_drawers_uses_count():
+    """ko.json status_drawers must use {count}, not {drawers}."""
+    load_lang("ko")
+    result = t("cli.status_drawers", count=42)
+    assert "42" in result, f"Expected '42' in '{result}' -- count variable not interpolated"
+
+
+def test_from_config_defaults_to_english(tmp_path):
+    """Dialect.from_config without a lang key must not inherit module-level state."""
+    load_lang("ko")  # pollute module-level _current_lang
+
+    config_path = tmp_path / "config.json"
+    config_path.write_text('{"entities": {}}')
+
+    d = Dialect.from_config(str(config_path))
+    assert d.lang == "en", f"Expected 'en', got '{d.lang}' -- state leak from prior load_lang"