한국어

Born in 1908

If you were born in 1908, you're 117 or 118 in 2026 - and your tti (Korean zodiac animal) is the Golden Monkey.

    Your age in 2026
  • International age117 or 118
  • Korean age119
  • Year age118
    • The year 1908
  • tti (Korean zodiac animal)Golden Monkey
  • Sexagenary cycleMu-sin (戊申年)
  • Five element Earth (土)
  • Leap yearLeap year
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Golden MonkeyMu-sin (戊申年) · Earth (土)

In the sexagenary cycle, 1908 is Mu-sin (戊申年). Its heavenly stem carries the element Earth (土), and that element decides the color - which makes it a year of the Golden Monkey (申).

Born 12 years apart - same Monkey
1920age 1061932age 941944age 82

Life timeline for people born in 1908 🗓️

What someone born in 1908 becomes eligible for, year by year.

  1. Born
    1908Age 0
  2. Starts elementary school
    1915Age 6 · elementary

    The March after turning 6 - Korean school years start in March, not September.

  3. Starts middle school
    1921Age 12 · middle school
  4. Can take a part-time job
    1923Age 15

    Ages 13-14 can work only with an employment permit (Labor Standards Act).

  5. Starts high school
    1924Age 15 · high school
  6. Gets a resident registration card
    1925Age 17

    Issued from the first day of the month after turning 17 (Resident Registration Act).

  7. Can get a driver's licence
    1926Age 18

    Class 2 ordinary licence. Mopeds are allowed from 16 (Road Traffic Act).

  8. Can vote
    1926Age 18

    Must be 18 on election day (Public Official Election Act).

  9. Can buy alcohol and tobacco
    1927Year age 19

    From January 1 of the year you turn 19 - this one uses year age, not your birthday (Youth Protection Act).

  10. Legal adulthood
    1927Age 19

    Adulthood begins on the 19th birthday (Civil Act, Article 4).

  11. Military service examination
    1927Year age 19

    Held in the year a man turns 19 (Military Service Act · year age · men only).

  12. Statutory retirement age
    1968Age 60

    The floor employers must set, not a fixed date (Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination · reference).

  13. National Pension starts
    1968Age 60

    Between 63 and 65 depending on your birth year, with at least 10 years of contributions (National Pension Act · reference).

Ages follow international age unless noted. Buying alcohol or tobacco and the military service examination use year age - the calendar year you turn that age - so they can land a year earlier than you expect. School entry, retirement and the National Pension are general rules and can differ case by case.

Frequently asked questions ❓

In 2026, someone born in 1908 is 118 if they've already had their birthday this year and 117 if they haven't. In Korean age they're 119, and their year age is 118.
Counting from 2026, a 117-year-old was born in 1908.
1908 is the year of the Golden Monkey. In the sexagenary cycle it's Mu-sin (戊申), and because the heavenly stem carries the element Earth (土), the animal picks up the color Golden. One catch: the tti turns over at ipchun, around February 4, so a birthday before that counts as the previous year's animal.
Yes. 1908 runs 366 days and February goes all the way to the 29th, so some people born in 1908 only get a real birthday every four years.
Korean age starts at 1 the day you're born, and everybody adds a year together on January 1 instead of on their birthday. That makes it one or two years higher than international age. Since June 2023, Korean law, contracts, and official documents all use international age, but you'll still hear Korean age in everyday conversation.

Sources 🌐