Born in 1997
If you were born in 1997, in 2026 you are 28–29 in Western age and 30 in Korean age. Zodiac: Ox. Includes an exact-age calculator.
- Korean age
- 30
- Zodiac
- Ox
- Uni entrance (학번)
- 16
- Elementary entry
- 2004
A 1997 birth-year person's age below is computed for the current year; enter your birthday for the exact figure.
How old is someone born in 1997?
In 2026, a person born in 1997 is 29 years old in Western (international) age if their birthday has already passed this year, or 28 if it hasn't. In Korean counting age (세는 나이) they are 30. Korea officially switched to Western age in June 2023, so most official documents now use 28–29. Enter your birth month and day above for the exact figure and a countdown to your next birthday.
Zodiac and school year
1997 is the year of the Ox in the Korean/Chinese zodiac. Someone born in 1997 typically entered elementary school around 2004 and, entering university near age 20, would be class of '16 (학번). These are the quick facts Koreans look up alongside age.
Western age vs Korean age
Korean age adds 1 at birth and everyone ages together on New Year's Day, so it runs 1–2 higher than Western age. Western (만) age starts at 0 and increases on each birthday. Since the 2023 reform, "age" in laws and services means Western age unless a specific counting age is stated (e.g. some school-entry or military rules use 연 나이 = current year − birth year).
Other years: 1995 · 1996 · 1998 · 1999 · all years · D-day & age calculator