Korean Age Calculator

How it works

• Official age is international age (Framework Act on Administrative Regulation Art. 7-2).
• Year age (current year − birth year) is still used for buying alcohol/tobacco (19+) and military service.

FAQ

How old am I in Korean age?

Traditional Korean age = current year − birth year + 1. Officially, Korea now uses international age.

Worked example

Example: someone born on 20 May 1995 is 31 on 30 October 2026, because their birthday has passed. On 19 May 2026 they would still have been 30. Their "year age" (current year − birth year) is 31, and the traditional Korean age, once common in daily life, is 32.

The calculator also shows days lived (11,486 in this example) and the days left until the next birthday.

Quick rule: subtract your birth year from the current year, then subtract one more if your birthday has not come yet this year. Friends born in the same year can therefore be a year apart in international age for part of the year. Korean forms usually ask for the date of birth (생년월일) in YYMMDD or YYYY-MM-DD format rather than age.

Common mistakes

• Since 28 June 2023 Korean law uses international age (만 나이) by default for laws and contracts.
• Some laws still use year age, including the Military Service Act and the Juvenile Protection Act (e.g. rules on buying alcohol and tobacco).
• School entry is based on birth date, not age in years: children start school in March of the year after they turn six.
• When counting days, "D-56" and "day 57" differ by one because the second counts the start day.

Explanation checked on 2026-10-30 · Spotted an outdated value? Tell us