Korean Age Calculator
Enter your birth date to see your international age, your traditional Korean age and your year age, plus the days until your next birthday.
Three ways of counting age in Korea
International age (man-nai) starts at 0 and increases on your birthday. Year age (yeon-nai) is the current year minus your birth year. Korean age (se-neun-nai) is year age plus 1. Since June 28, 2023 Korean civil and administrative law uses international age.
Example: born on December 31, 2000
| Type | How it is counted | On Oct 25, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| International age (man-nai) | Adds 1 on your birthday | 25 |
| Year age (yeon-nai) | Current year minus birth year | 26 |
| Korean age (se-neun-nai) | Year age + 1 | 27 |
Which age do I use?
- Contracts, health insurance, pensions, school and most legal documents: international age, since the 2023 reform.
- Buying alcohol and tobacco: you can buy from January 1 of the year you turn 19 (year age 19).
- Military service: registration and enlistment rules are based on year age.
- Everyday conversation: some people still ask for your Korean age when meeting, especially for deciding who is older. You can simply give your birth year.
Age and visas
Some programs have age limits that are checked on a specific date. For example, the Working Holiday (H-1) visa limits depend on your country's agreement and are counted by your age at application. Always check the requirements of the visa you are applying for, and use your international age unless the rules say otherwise.
Frequently asked questions
What is Korean age?
Traditional Korean age counts you as 1 year old at birth and adds a year every January 1. It is calculated as the current year minus your birth year plus 1, so it is one or two years higher than your international age.
Which age does Korea use officially now?
Since June 28, 2023, administrative and civil law in Korea uses international age (called man-nai), which counts from 0 at birth and adds a year on each birthday. Some laws still use year age (current year minus birth year), for example for military service and the legal drinking and smoking age.
What is the legal drinking age in Korea?
You can buy alcohol and tobacco in the calendar year you turn 19 (year age 19), not on your 19th birthday. This is a year-age rule, so it differs from international age.
Why are there three different ages?
Korean age is the traditional social system, international age is now the official standard for most laws and contracts, and year age is used by a few laws that apply to everyone born in the same calendar year.