한국어

Born in 1920

If you were born in 1920, you're 105 or 106 in 2026 - and your tti (Korean zodiac animal) is the White Monkey.

    Your age in 2026
  • International age105 or 106
  • Korean age107
  • Year age106
    • The year 1920
  • tti (Korean zodiac animal)White Monkey
  • Sexagenary cycleGyeong-sin (庚申年)
  • Five element Metal (金)
  • Leap yearLeap year
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White MonkeyGyeong-sin (庚申年) · Metal (金)

In the sexagenary cycle, 1920 is Gyeong-sin (庚申年). Its heavenly stem carries the element Metal (金), and that element decides the color - which makes it a year of the White Monkey (申).

Born 12 years apart - same Monkey
1908age 1181932age 941944age 821956age 70

Life timeline for people born in 1920 🗓️

What someone born in 1920 becomes eligible for, year by year.

  1. Born
    1920Age 0
  2. Starts elementary school
    1927Age 6 · elementary

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

  3. Starts middle school
    1933Age 12 · middle school
  4. Can take a part-time job
    1935Age 15

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

  5. Starts high school
    1936Age 15 · high school
  6. Gets a resident registration card
    1937Age 17

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

  7. Can get a driver's licence
    1938Age 18

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

  8. Can vote
    1938Age 18

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

  9. Can buy alcohol and tobacco
    1939Year 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
    1939Age 19

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

  11. Military service examination
    1939Year age 19

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

  12. Statutory retirement age
    1980Age 60

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

  13. National Pension starts
    1980Age 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 1920 is 106 if they've already had their birthday this year and 105 if they haven't. In Korean age they're 107, and their year age is 106.
Counting from 2026, a 105-year-old was born in 1920.
1920 is the year of the White Monkey. In the sexagenary cycle it's Gyeong-sin (庚申), and because the heavenly stem carries the element Metal (金), the animal picks up the color White. One catch: the tti turns over at ipchun, around February 4, so a birthday before that counts as the previous year's animal.
Yes. 1920 runs 366 days and February goes all the way to the 29th, so some people born in 1920 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 🌐