Want to learn what Korean age is?
Read on to find out what it is, how to calculate your Korean age, and why it matters.
Quick Summary
- In the Korean age system, a baby is considered one year old at birth because time spent in the womb counts.
- Everyone collectively gains a year on New Year’s Day, not on their birthdays.
- Despite the 2023 amendments to unify the age counting system, most people still use Korean age on a daily basis.
What Is the South Korean Age System?
Koreans have a unique way of calculating our age.
It’s different from the international age, where a person is considered zero at birth and gains a year each birthday.
In the Korean age system, everyone is one year old at birth because time spent in the womb counts.
Then, everyone in Korea collectively gains a year on New Year’s Day of the following year, not on their birthdays.
This means that a baby born on December 31st will turn two years old the next day on January 1st, even though they are technically two days old.
So, regardless of whether someone is born in January, July, or December, their age does not change within that year.
In other words, the age gap between individuals always remains the same.
Korean age is an easy and intuitive way to calculate how old someone is based on their birth year.
How Old Am I in Korean Age?
The concept of Korean age can be confusing because it makes people seem one to two years older than they are.
For example, if you’re 25 years old by international standards, you’re 26 or 27 in Korean age, depending on your birthdate and the current date.
Here’s a simple formula to calculate your Korean age:
Korean Age = (Current Year – Birth Year) + 1
For example, if you were born in 1995 and the current year is 2025, your Korean age is 31 according to (2025 – 1995) + 1.
Didn’t Korea Switch to the International Age?
As of June 28, 2023, new laws took effect requiring the use of international age in South Korea for legal and official matters to avoid confusion according to the official Korean government policy briefing.
I thought we were finally getting younger by two years.
However, Korean age is still being used in the country every day.
Whenever I say my international age, literally every Korean person I know says it’s not my real age, giving me a funny look.
The international age is only used at hospitals and clinics, where an exact biological age is required.
Why Does Age Matter So Much in Korea?
In Korea, people often ask, “How old are you?” right away to figure out how to address each other properly.
This is because Korean age determines social hierarchy and the level of formality in speech.
As a common cliché, many Koreans also ask, “How old are you?” during arguments with strangers, as it often defines social ranking.
With the international age system, age differences are less noticeable because students in the same grade have varying birthdays.
On the other hand, it’s VERY noticeable in Korea as a collective form. So, the one-year seniority gap (sunbae and hoobae) is strict from elementary school to university.
Even though age becomes less significant in professional life, people keep using the Korean age system out of habit and convenience.
Some may argue that this convenience strengthens or worsens the hierarchy culture in the country.
Also, it’s relatively harder for Koreans to form friendships regardless of birth year.
Korean age might seem confusing at first, but it helps form a strong bond as we all age together.
Understanding Korean age is helpful if you’re planning to move to or visit Korea.
By learning about Korean age, you not only gain insight into a unique culture but also enhance your social interactions and communication with Koreans.
