Officially, he turned four years old, which meant that there were a lot of cartoons and games at the party. However, if I told most Koreans that he was four, they would say: “In which system?” This is because Koreans have three different ways for calculating someone’s age: the Korean system, the counting system and the mixed system.
In the traditional Korean system, a person is one year old on the day they are born, and they turn two years old on 설달 (Seollal), or Lunar New Year. To signify that they have turned one year older, everyone eats 떡국 (tteokguk), or rice cake soup. However, in the counting system, Koreans calculate age the same way that we do in the United States, in that they are zero at birth and turn one year old on their birthday. Finally, in the mixed system, a person is zero at birth and turns a year older on 설달 (Seollal). Because of this, when asked how old they are, a Korean person may respond with three different numbers!
Do you want to know your Korean age? To find out, follow this formula: This year - The year you were born + 1. For me, the equation looks like this: 2025 (This year) - 2002 (The year I was born) + 1 = 24. As a result, my Korean age is 24, even though I am only 22 years old! What’s your Korean age?
There is no single reason why the Korean system for calculating age exists. However, many people point to the fact that age is extremely important in determining relationships and social status in Korea. If I don’t know your age, it is almost impossible for me to speak to you!
