How the Korean age system works (1 Viewer)

[Yolks]

I wanted to make a thread on this, because people are always confused about it.

Your actual date of birth (month & day) does not really matter when determining your age. Rather, most of the time, your age depends on the year you are born.

The moment you are born, you are one years old. On New Years Day, everyone becomes one year older. For an example, someone born in December 31 would turn 1 the moment they are born. Then, they would turn 2 when on New Years Day, making them two years old one day after their birth.

This is the same for the hierarchy system as well, where younger people call older people hyung, unnie, etc. The year of your birth also determines the grade you are in Korea, so a lot of the time, who is older is determined by that, for it is easier. There are many times where someone a few days younger than another would be in a lower grade and would actually have to call them hyung, etc.

However, there are special cases where someone was born in the same year as another yet still calls them by hyung, etc. This is because until about a decade ago, people who were born up till about February got to be in the same grade in school as the people born in the previous year.
For an example, person A born in February 2nd 1997 could be in the same grade as someone born in 1996; therefore, person B born in March 17th 1997 would be younger than person A although they are born in the same year, only a month apart.

This may still be pretty confusing, but I hope this helped a bit :pepecheer:

@Vikki @Taeyeon @blueberries

 

[Lovely_Cornchips]

So what you're saying is I would be like 24? That's gross.

 

[Yolks]

So what you're saying is I would be like 24? That's gross.

It is sort of confusing since your birthday is around the mark where the grade splits, but you would be 23 even though you could possibly have attended school with people born in 1996. Although you could be in a different grade and be counted 'older' than others in 1997, your age would be the same as the other 1997 people

 

[bulletproof]

my birthday is 26.07.1996, so according to korean age system I am 24...
No, thanks, I prefer western age system I m usually asked if I am in highschool because I look younger, there s no way to say I am 24

 

[Yolks]

my birthday is 26.07.1996, so according to korean age system I am 24...
No, thanks, I prefer western age system I m usually asked if I am in highschool because I look younger, there s no way to say I am 24

I know, the Korean system makes everyone so old

 

[Lovely_Cornchips]

It is sort of confusing since your birthday is around the mark where the grade splits, but you would be 23 even though you could possibly have attended school with people born in 1996. Although you could be in a different grade and be counted 'older' than others in 1997, your age would be the same as the other 1997 people

What

 

[Discipline]

The latter part of how the education system used to work actually reminds me of the current education system in England. So, for example, babies born in September 2000 to August 2001 would be in the same grade. So someone born on the 31st of August would automatically be put in a higher grade to someone born on the 1st of September despite only being a day apart in age.

Looking from that perspective, the hierarchy system doesn't seem too confusing. Though I still don't understand the lunar calendar?

 

[chvnle]

thats weird
they better change it to the western age system im dying over here

 

[Ahsoka]

that's actually not as confusing as I thought.
If we used the Korean age system I would be able to legally drink already

 

[Wicked]

It's so bizarre that a newborn could already be considered 2. None of it makes sense from a logical standpoint to me. Especially when they have such an emphasis on age hierarchy there. Like... that seems almost unfair lol.

 

[Yolks]

The latter part of how the education system used to work actually reminds me of the current education system in England. So, for example, babies born in September 2000 to August 2001 would be in the same grade. So someone born on the 31st of August would automatically be put in a higher grade to someone born on the 1st of September despite only being a day apart in age.

Looking from that perspective, the hierarchy system doesn't seem too confusing. Though I still don't understand the lunar calendar?

That's pretty interesting, and like you said, and it reminds me of the Korean system too. I honestly don't understand the lunar calendar either, so that's why I just said somewhere in February-ish :hmm:

that's actually not as confusing as I thought.
If we used the Korean age system I would be able to legally drink already

It's really not that complicated as people think it is
And it's such a huge difference between korean and international age

It's so bizarre that a newborn could already be considered 2. None of it makes sense from a logical standpoint to me. Especially when they have such an emphasis on age hierarchy there. Like... that seems almost unfair lol.

Yeah, it logically does not make sense lol
It is really crazy how some people one day younger are considered lower in the hierarchy, and it is pretty unfair actually