Usually, when we decide to travel, we choose destinations with new cultures and more challenging for us. Our goal is to bring new knowledge about distant lands and their peoples. However, there are some things we need to explore before traveling to know what to expect when we arrive at our destination. If you decide to travel to Korea, it is good to know that one of the specifics of Korean culture is the Korean Age which you can calculate using our Korean Age Calculator.
This text will learn why the Korean age differs from the American age and how to calculate your age in Korea. So you will be ready to travel to Korea, and you will not be afraid of the question “How old are you?” and whether you will answer correctly.
In addition check other calculators we have developed, such as Tip Calculator, or something from statistics category, like Coin Flip Probability Calculator.
Korean Age – Explained
A newborn is zero years old in the western world. On the other hand, in some Asian countries, newborns are one year old on the first day of their lives. Even though the baby spends nine months in the womb, for convenience, it is calculated that the baby is one year old on the first day of birth. The Koreans mostly preserved this culture. So a baby born on the same day, the same year in Korea, or somewhere else in the western world does not have the same age.
In fact, you are already one year old after being born in Korea, you do not age the same in Korea as in other cultures. At the beginning of the new year, on January 1st, you increase the number of your years. That means not on the day you were born.
Sure, Koreans celebrate birthdays, but it is not the day they get a year older.
The Korean age is different from the standard age, but Koreans still use it out of respect for the culture. On the other hand, they use the usual age for passports and birth certificates.
How old am I in the Korean Age?
If we assume that you are 24 years old and want to calculate how old you are in Korea, you can do it in two ways.
Add another year to your age, the one you would get in Korea when you were born. Hence, 24 + 1 = 25.
You can also calculate your Korean age using your year of birth. If you were born in 1997 and want to calculate how much your Korean age will be 2050, add 2050 + 1 – 1997 = 54.
Korean Age vs American Age
In Korea, you will already be one year old on the first day of life. Koreans count the time a fetus develops in the womb as a period of life. You will also be one year older in Korea on January 1st.
On the other hand, if you were born in America at birth, you have one day. Time spent in the womb is not considered part of your age. Also, your age increases only on your birthday in the American age.
Formula
You can calculate your Korean age in several ways, i.e., by using different formulas:
- Current year + 1 – Year of birth = Korean age
- Birthday passed this year: Your age + 1 = Korean age
- This year’s birthday is not over: Your age + 2 = Korean age
Or you can use our calculator to calculate Korean age.
Korean Age Calculator: Example
As we have stated, there are three ways to calculate how old you are in Korea. The first way to calculate your age in Korea is to add one year to the current year. From that result, subtract the year of your birth. With this calculating method, you will be one year older in worse than your age.
For example, the current year is 2022, and you were born in 1997. Add another year (2022 + 1) to the current year and subtract your birth year. So, we have (2022 + 1) – 1997 = 26.
Another way to calculate the Korean age depends on whether your birthday has passed or will be in the current year. So, you will add one year to your age if your birthday is over. If your birthday has not yet been in the current year, you will add two years to your age.
On the other hand, if you are now 24 years old and your birthday is over this year, you count as follows: 24 + 1 = 25 years (age in Korea).
In fact, if you are 24 years old and your birthday has not been this year, count: 24 + 2 = 26 years (age in Korea).
Your age may be one or two years younger than your Korean age. Or you can use a Korean Age Calculator. First, choose whether you want to calculate your Korean Age by year of birth or current age.
When selecting a calculation based on the year of birth, enter the current year and the year of your birth. The calculator automatically calculates your Korean age. The calculator will also calculate your age if you choose a calculation based on your current years. You first need to indicate whether your birthday is over or will be during the year for this calculator. And then it is enough to enter your current years.
Also, if you want to know exactly how many months, days, weeks, days you have, you can also use our Age Calculator by Date of Birth.
Importance of Age in Korean Culture
Koreans are people who highly value their culture. It is the Korean age that comes from their culture. When you first meet a person in Korea, they will surely ask you about your age. Do not be surprised because Koreans want to know how to address you. There are several ways to address you in Korean, depending on your age. Koreans need to know how old they are to address you accordingly.
FAQ
How old is 16 in the Korean Age?
You were already one year old when you were born. It is enough to add another one year to your 16 years. So 16 years old is 17 years old according to the Korean culture of age calculation.
At what age do Korean students graduate from college?
When they finish high school, Koreans are 20 or 18-19 years old. So, they enroll in the faculty at the age of 20 or internationally at the age of 18-19.
When Do Koreans Celebrate their Birthdays?
Although at the beginning of the year, more precisely on January 1st, all Koreans get older by one year. They celebrate their birthdays. So, Koreans celebrate a birthday on the date of birth, but that day does not grow old.
How old is Jungkook in Korean Age?
South Korean singer Jungkook was born on September 1st, 1997. and according to international calculations, he is 24 years old. However, if we follow the Korean culture of age calculation, singer Jungkook is 26 years old.
