Korean Age: Why You Are 2 Years Older
Checked 30 Aug 2026 (KST) · Civil Act Art. 158 You are often one or two years older in Korean age than in the birthday-based number most countries use. You are not always two years older. Legal age in Korea has been that international number — international age, 만 나이 on Korean forms — since 28 June 2023. The social count still shows up in conversation, and a few statutes still use a third clock. If you need a number for a form, a bar, or a school letter, do not guess from a slogan. Run your birth date. Then read which clock that office actually uses. This page is a reading of the statutes and the 2023 government FAQ, not legal advice for your file. Put the date you were born into the calculator. Then come back for the exceptions that still ignore the birthday. Calculate your Korean age → 📌 Three clocks, one birthday Legal default since 28 June 2023 is international age — zero at birth, plus one on each birthday. Counting age starts at one and jumps for everyone on 1 January...