[Cloud USA] How old is Jung Ji-Hoon? (What is Korean age?)
Well, that depends on who you’re asking. And whether you’re talking Korean age, or International age.
Right now, internationally, Rain is 27 years and 11 months, and will turn 28 years old on his birthday, June 25. But in Korea, at this moment, he is considered to be 29 years old, and he will still be considered 29 on his birthday next month. He will be 30 years old when the New Year rings in for 2011.
Confused? So was I.
What turned the light bulb on for me when it comes to 만나이 (“man-nai”, in which “man” (만) means full or actual, and “nai” means age) was when I realized that, for Koreans, the date of one’s birth is a day to mark but NOT a day that you age up. Koreans age up with each new calendar year that they live to see, each new calendar year they are alive and that they experience.
Let’s say you were born today in the US, or in Japan, etc. You would be considered only hours old, right? Well in Korea, you would already be considered one year old because this was the first year you saw and experienced. You’re living in your “first year.”
Likewise, when the next New Year came, that would be the second year you lived to see, so you would be considered two years old, though depending on your birth date the rest of the world would consider you one year old or less.
The young man in this video, Hyunwoo Sun, is a perfect example of that. He was born December 29, 1980, so on January 1, 1981, internationally he was 3 days old, but Korea considered him 2 years old. He had seen 1980 (one year) and 1981 (two years). Just remember that it’s how many years you actually “see,” and you’ll be good. Korean women love this, I hear, because they automatically get one or two years younger whenever they leave their country. 🙂 ^@@^
And speaking of birthdays…
As we all know, Rain’s is the 25th of next month, so get your greeting cards, silver lining letters, or gifts in the mail to J.Tune. (There wasn’t enough time this year, but next year we plan on having a group project, so do stay tuned for that.)
Rain will be on tour that day, performing at Fukuoka ZEPP, so getting birthday wishes while working should make him smile.
— Stephe @cloudusa.wordpress.com ^@@^
http://www.cloudusa.org
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What is Korean Age? (courtesy of ever4one)
Cloud USA 
I knw the one year deal but 2 year sorta confuses me anyhow becuase of the many international students we have at are school we have to ask their international age and country age, its cool but it makes you feel a bit weird knowing that they are younger then you but in the same grade.
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yeah that makes sense. I don’t have problem with age but i can see how everyone else would freak out with this system.
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