Learning Korean Language and the Cultures of Korea

Aging

In this chapter I'm not going to teach you new Korean words, instead I am going to educate you about the aging system in Korea.

You might be like "Huh? It's different?" or "Yes! I wanted to learn this." or "I already know this. *skips to next chapter*" but yes the aging system in Korea is different than that of America. In Korea, you are always older than you are in America. Not literally but the age that they call you. Let me explain why.

So here, in America, when you are born, you are zero years old. But in Korea, when you are born, you are already one year old because they count the time that you are in your mom's tummy. For this reason, you are always at least one year older in Korea than you are in America. Notice I said "at least".

That's right, it is possible to be two years older in Korea. Unless you're born on New Years that is. Anyways you can sometimes be two years older in Korea because everyone ages on New Years! I know, strange right. So every New Years you are 1 year older.

Obviously for people who are born on New Years, you are constantly only one year older in Korea because you age on New Years in America anyways but for the other 99.7% of the people on earth, I will tell you a way that will allow you to calculate your Korean age easily. *note that Korea goes by the lunar calendar, hence their calendar is different from ours*

So, all you have to do is take the current year and subtract it by your birthday. Then, you add one and that number is your Korean age.

Example: Suppose I am born in 1999. It is currently 2016 so you take 2016 and subtract by 1999.
2016-1999=17
You have to add one to that number.
17+1=18
I would be 18 in Korean age. Easy right?

Calculate your age now and comment how old you are in Korea.