Three ways to count age in Korea
| Name | Korean | How it works | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| International age | 만 나이 | Starts at 0 and goes up on your birthday | Official documents, laws, hospitals, contracts — since June 2023 |
| Year age | 연 나이 | Current year minus your birth year | Military service, buying alcohol and tobacco, some school rules |
| Old “Korean age” | 세는 나이 | Starts at 1 at birth and goes up every January 1 | Everyday talk, especially among older people |
What changed in 2023
On June 28, 2023, Korea made international age the standard for laws, contracts and official documents. Before that, the old way of counting made most people one or two years “older” in Korea than everywhere else. Some laws still use year age on purpose — for example, the rules on alcohol and tobacco.
Can I drink in Korea?
Alcohol and tobacco can be sold to you from January 1 of the year you turn 19, regardless of your birthday. That is year age 19. Bars and shops may ask for ID — carry your Alien Registration Card or passport.
Your zodiac animal (띠)
Koreans often ask your 띠 to work out your age politely. The twelve animals repeat every twelve years: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Traditionally the new animal starts at Seollal (Lunar New Year), so people born in January or early February may be given the previous year’s animal.