How does the korean age work?

Question

I know that when you are born your already 1 and then during New Years your 2. But I don't understand how one korean will be 2 years older than their real age, and another korean will be just a year older than their real age.

Answer 1

In Korea, when you are born, right away you are 1 years old, unlike America where you have to wait until you pass your birthday the next year to be 1.



When you pass the New Years, you will become a year older in Korea.



I don't think you can be 2 years older than your American age.

Answer 2

Basically before you have your birthday you are 2 years older, but when your birthday comes you only become one year older.



I'm 19 right now and my birthday is in August. My Korean age is 21 because on the 31st of December my real age will be 20, but my Korean age will still be 21 and will not change to 22 until 2014

So basically you add 1 year to the age you'll be on the 31st of December.



In Korea your birthday is literally the day you were born so you still celebrate it, however it has nothing to do with how old you are.



I'll put a better explanation in the sources box.

Answer 3

Take your birthday and subtract it from the current year.

Right now it's 2013, and I was born in 1992.

2013 - 1992 = 21.



Now, add 1.

21 + 1 = 22.





Koreans start counting their ages when they first appear in the stomach. Babies stay a little less than a year in the womb, so that would basically be about 9-12 months more older than your Western age, however they round it which is basically a year or so. You say Koreans are older by two years, right? This is the FIRST year where you're older.



What's the SECOND year?

Every Lunar New Year, your Korean age is raised by one. In other countries, you add a year on your birthday, but in Korea you add it every Lunar New Year.

The Lunar New Year date varies. Usually it's around the end of January and the beginning of February. This year (2013), the Lunar New Year date was on February 10th. Next year (2014), it's on January 31st. Like I said before, you add your birthday year on Lunar New Year, NOT on your actual birth date.





So my Korean age would be 22.