Korean age, zodiac and saju — the Korea-specific calculators
Three questions people ask about Korea more than any other: how old am I in Korean age, what is my zodiac animal, and what does saju say. Each tool answers one, and explains the tradition behind it.
Why these three
Korea runs on a few conventions that catch visitors off guard. Age is the first: for decades a Korean asked how old you were and expected a number that was one or two higher than the one on your passport, and even after the law changed in 2023 the old count survives in conversation. The zodiac is the second: asking someone's animal is the polite way of asking their age, so the twelve-year cycle turns up constantly. And saju is the third: the four-pillar birth chart that Korean families still consult around engagements.
Start with the Korean age calculator if you just want the number people will expect you to give. It shows all three Korean age systems side by side and explains which one applies where. The Korean zodiac calculator adds your animal, your Western star sign and the two-hour branch you were born under. The saju compatibility calculator goes furthest: it builds two full birth charts and compares them, showing every point of the score rather than handing you a number to take on trust.
All three run entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere, there is no sign-up, and there is no paid tier holding back the real answer.
Which tool does what
| Tool | Answers | Useful if you are |
|---|---|---|
| Korean Age Calculator | Your international, traditional Korean and year age, plus Korean insurance age | Living in Korea, filling in a Korean form, or working out what age to give someone |
| Korean Zodiac Calculator | Your zodiac animal, Western star sign, and birth-hour branch | Curious about the twelve-year cycle, or asked what your ttii is |
| Saju Compatibility | Two four-pillar charts compared, with a transparent score breakdown | Interested in how Korean fortune reading actually works |
Frequently asked questions
What is my Korean age?
Usually your international age plus one or two. The traditional Korean count makes you one year old on the day you are born and adds a year to everyone on January 1, so the gap is two years before your birthday and one after it. Since June 2023 international age is the legal default in Korea, but the traditional count is still what you will hear in conversation.
Is the Korean zodiac different from the Chinese zodiac?
It is the same twelve-animal cycle, shared across East Asia, with the same year-to-animal mapping. Naming and local custom differ a little. In Korea your animal is your ttii, and asking for it is a softer way of asking how old you are.
Do I need my birth time for any of these?
Only if you want the extra detail. The Korean age calculator never needs it. The zodiac calculator uses it to show your two-hour branch, and skipping it costs you only that line. The saju calculator fills in the hour pillar with it, but the compatibility score itself never uses the hour, so the result is identical either way.
Why do these tools ask for a solar calendar date?
Because all three calculate from the solar calendar, which is what appears on Korean ID documents. Some Korean families keep a lunar birth date in their records. If yours does, convert it to the solar date before entering it, or the charts will be roughly a month out.
Are the fortune-telling results meant seriously?
No, and we say so on every page rather than in the small print. Saju and the zodiac are genuine cultural traditions worth understanding, and this site applies their rules accurately. That is a very different thing from those rules being true. There is no evidence that birth timing predicts character, compatibility or events.
Age results are for reference; confirm anything legal or official with the relevant Korean authority. Zodiac and saju results are cultural tradition and entertainment, with no predictive basis.