Korean Age Calculator 나이 계산기
Korea has three ways to count your age, and all three still show up in real life. Enter your birthday and see them side by side.
Why three ages?
For most of its history Korea counted age the East Asian way: you are one the day you are born, and everyone turns a year older together on New Year's Day. A baby born on 31 December is two years old the next morning. That is the Korean age (세는 나이, "counting age").
The law has always used international age (만 나이, "full age") for official matters, and on 28 June 2023 the government made it the single standard for documents, medical care and contracts. But habits are slower than laws. Ask someone at a bar how old they are and you will still hear the Korean age, because it decides who speaks casually to whom.
Then there is year age (연 나이): the current year minus your birth year. It exists so that a whole school year becomes adults together. It still sets the legal age for alcohol, tobacco and conscription. If you were born in 2007, you can drink from 1 January 2026, even if your birthday is in December.
Where each age is used
| Situation | Age used |
|---|---|
| Passport, ARC, contracts, hospitals, insurance | International age |
| Buying alcohol or cigarettes, entering a bar | Year age (19 from 1 January of the year you turn 19) |
| Military conscription, school entry year | Year age |
| "How old are you?" from a new Korean friend | Korean age, though younger people increasingly say international age |
| Speech level and who pays for dinner | Whatever makes someone older. Usually Korean age. |
Questions people ask
Did Korea abolish Korean age?
Officially, yes. Since 28 June 2023 international age is the legal standard. Socially, Korean age is fading but still common, especially among people over thirty. Year age was never abolished and still governs drinking and conscription.
Which age should I say when someone asks?
Say your international age and add the year you were born ("I'm 27, born in 1999"). The birth year is what Koreans actually use to work out the relationship, and it removes any confusion.
Why does a Korean website show me an age I have never been?
Older systems and some apps still display Korean age. If a number is one or two years higher than you expect, that is why.
Does the Korean age change on Lunar New Year?
No. Korean age changes on 1 January of the solar calendar. Lunar New Year (Seollal) is a holiday, not an age reset.
Last checked: September 2026. Based on the Act on Age Calculation and Indication (effective 28 June 2023) and the Juvenile Protection Act.