Korean Age & Lunar Age Calculator

In traditional East Asian age reckoning you are 1 year old at birth and everyone gets one year older at the new year. Find your traditional Korean age, your international age and your “year age”.

How Korean age works

• Traditional Korean age: current year − birth year + 1. A baby born on December 31 turns 2 the next day.
• International age: the age used in most of the world – you gain a year on your birthday.
• Year age (연 나이): current year − birth year. Used in Korea for some rules such as military service and school years.

Is Korean age still used?

Since June 28, 2023, South Korea officially uses international age for most legal and administrative purposes. Traditional Korean age is still common in everyday conversation and culture.

Chinese lunar age (虚岁, xūsuì)

Traditional Chinese age also starts at 1 at birth, but adds a year at the Lunar (Chinese) New Year instead of January 1. If you were born between January 1 and Chinese New Year, your lunar age can differ by one year, and your Chinese zodiac animal may be the one of the previous year.

Frequently asked questions

Why am I 1 or 2 years older in Korean age?

You are one year older because you count as 1 at birth, and two years older between January 1 and your birthday because everyone ages on New Year’s Day.