Korean Age
Korean age is different than the age used in most countries. The whole concept of age is deeply embedded in Korean language and culture.
What is Korean Age?
Korean age is a way that Koreans calculate their age. It is always one or two years more than your international age. Koreans consider a year in the womb as counting towards their age, so everyone is one year old at birth. Everyone gets one year added to their Korean age on New Year’s Day.
Here’s an easy way to think about it. Your Korean age will always be at least one year older than your international age. That’s because Korean age adds one year because of the time you spent in the womb before being born (approximately one year).
Your Korean age will change on New Year’s Day, not on your birthday. People in Korea still celebrate their birthday’s on the day that they were born. However, it doesn’t affect their Korean age. Their Korean age changes on January 1st.
For example, if you were born on April 1st, then you would still celebrate your birthday on April 1st. However, your Korean age wouldn’t change until January 1st. Korean age isn’t calculated based on your birthday.
Why is Korean Age Important?
Age in Korea is very important in Korean culture. Far more important than it is in Europe or the USA.
Often the first question that people ask is “How old are you?” People’s age is important not just for things like whether you are old enough to buy cigarettes and alcohol, but for a whole variety of social interactions in Korea.
People use different language when speaking to people of a different age. They expect people to act differently, with younger people expected to pour drinks, or older people expected to pay for things.
Even the way you refer to your friends is based on their age; if they are a year older than you, they might be your 누나 (nuna) or 언니 (eonni), if they are younger, they will be your 동생 (dongsaeng).
With all this importance put on age, answering the question “How old are you?” is very important. But the answer depends on the meaning of the question.
Why is Korean Age Different?
Korean age is different than international age (or Western age) because of two reasons. First, you are automatically one year old at birth. Second, you age another year because of the turn of the calendar year. Your date of birth doesn’t affect your Korean age.
To contrast, if you are a baby born in the USA, then on the day after you are born, you are considered to be one day old. The nine months that you spent inside your mommy’s tummy are not considered part of your age. Your age increases by one each time your date of birth passes.
In Korea, on the day of your birth, you are considered to be one year old; the time you spent in the womb counts as the first year of your life (despite it only being nine months). Because of this, your Korean age is always at least one year higher than your international age. Then the change of the year on January 1st automatically advances your Korean age by one.
What’s my Korean age?
If you’re curious to know “what’s my Korean age”, there are three simple ways to get the answer. Pick whichever one you like the best. We recommend using the Korean age calculator last.
1. Use the “Korean Age +1 Formula”
(Current year – Year of Birth) + 1 = Korean Age
If you were born in 1995, and the year is 2019:
(2019 – 1995) + 1 = 25 years old (Korean age)
2. Use the “Korean Age Birthday Formula”
Birthday has passed this year: Your Age + 1 = Korean Age
Birthday has not passed this year: Your Age + 2 = Korean Age
If you are 25 and your birthday has passed:
25 + 1 = 26 years old (Korean age)
If you are 25 and your birthday has not passed this year:
25 + 2 = 27 years old (Korean age)
This means that your Korean age will be one or two years more than your international age.
3. Use the Korean Age Calculator
Using the Korean Age Calculator is super easy, just input your birth year. We recommend using the formulas above first, and then check your answer by using the Korean age calculator after.
If you want to get a solid understanding of Korean age, then you could try to calculate the Korean age of various people using the formulas, like celebrities or people you know. Then you can use the Korean age calculator to check if you’re correct.
Keep in mind that the Korean age calculator uses today’s date. If you want to calculate a Korean age on a different date, then use formulas 1 and 2.
Korean Age Example
Let’s take a look at a Korean age example if your birthday is September 21st, 1997.
International age:
On January 1st, 2021, your international age is 23.
On September 21st, 2021, your international age is 24.
On January 1st, 2022, your international age is 24.
Korean age:
On January 1st, 2021, your Korean age is 25
On September 21st, 2021, your Korean age is 25
On January 1st, 2022, your Korean age is 26