Korean Age Calculator
Find your traditional Korean age (born at 1, +1 every New Year), your international age used officially in South Korea since June 28, 2023, and your “year age” (yeon-nai).
How it works
Korean age = reference year − birth year + 1 · year age (yeon-nai) = reference year − birth year · international age = year age − 1 if the birthday has not yet come this year
Traditional Korean age counts a newborn as 1 and adds a year to everyone on January 1, so it is one or two years above international age. Amendments to the Civil Act and the Framework Act on Public Administration that took effect on June 28, 2023 made the international (“man”) age the default for laws, contracts and official documents, but some rules still use year age — for example the age for buying alcohol and tobacco under the Youth Protection Act and military-service call-ups.
Worked example
Someone born on June 15, 2000, checking on October 5, 2026: Korean age = 2026 − 2000 + 1 = 27; year age = 2026 − 2000 = 26; the birthday has already passed in 2026, so the international age is also 26. Their Korean age goes up on January 1, 2027 and their international age on June 15, 2027.
Sources: East Asian age reckoning (Wikipedia) · Korea.net — official portal of the Republic of Korea
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate Korean age?
Subtract your birth year from the current year and add 1. Born in 2000 → in 2026 your Korean age is 2026 − 2000 + 1 = 27, whatever your birthday.
Does South Korea still use Korean age?
Not officially. Since June 28, 2023 laws and official documents use international age. Traditional Korean age is still common in conversation and in K-pop fan circles, and year age remains in a few laws such as alcohol and tobacco sales and military service.
Why can Korean age be two years more than my real age?
You start at 1 at birth and gain a year every January 1. Between January 1 and your birthday you are 2 years “older” in Korean age; after your birthday the gap is 1 year.
What is “year age”?
Year age (yeon-nai) is simply the current year minus your birth year. It equals your international age after your birthday and is one more before it.
Is Chinese or Japanese traditional age the same?
Chinese xusui also starts at 1 but traditionally adds a year at Lunar New Year, not January 1. Japan’s kazoedoshi works like Korean age but has been out of everyday use since 1950.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.