Korea’s legal age standard counts completed years

Since June 28, 2023, Korean civil and administrative matters generally use age counted in completed years from birth, unless another rule applies. Official documents normally follow this standard without needing to specify it separately.

THE KEY PHRASE IS “UNLESS OTHERWISE PROVIDED”

The Ministry of Government Legislation explains that ages stated in laws, contracts and official documents generally follow this standard. Specific exceptions can still apply.

SPEECH CHANGES MORE SLOWLY

Everyday speech has changed more slowly than the legal standard, so older ways of describing age may still come up in conversation.

Sources & context

2026-09-18