한국어

Born in 1988

If you were born in 1988, you're 37 or 38 in 2026 - and your tti (Korean zodiac animal) is the Golden Dragon.

    Your age in 2026
  • International age37 or 38
  • Korean age39
  • Year age38
    • The year 1988
  • tti (Korean zodiac animal)Golden Dragon
  • Sexagenary cycleMu-jin (戊辰年)
  • Five element Earth (土)
  • Leap yearLeap year
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Golden DragonMu-jin (戊辰年) · Earth (土)

In the sexagenary cycle, 1988 is Mu-jin (戊辰年). Its heavenly stem carries the element Earth (土), and that element decides the color - which makes it a year of the Golden Dragon (辰).

Born 12 years apart - same Dragon
1952age 741964age 621976age 502000age 262012age 142024age 2

The year you were born: 1988

Here's what the world was up to that year 👀

📰 What happened that year
  1. January 1🏗️ The Soviet Union began perestroika under Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev.
  2. February 25🏛️ Roh Tae-woo was sworn in as South Korea's 13th president.
  3. April 26🗳️ South Korea held its 13th National Assembly election.
  4. July 7🤝 The July 7 Declaration was issued.
  5. August 20🕊️ The cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq War took effect.
  6. September 17🏅 The Seoul Olympics, the 24th Summer Games, opened.
  7. October 8🚨 Ji Kang-heon and 11 others escaped during a transfer from Yeongdeungpo Prison to Gongju Prison.
  8. November 23📢 Former president Chun Doo-hwan issued a public apology for corruption during his time in office and left for Baekdamsa temple.
⭐ Born that year
G-Dragon, rapper and actor (BIGBANG)Kim Yeon-koung, volleyball playerKim Soo-hyun, actorPark Seo-joon, actorRihanna, Barbadian singerAdele, British singer
🎬 Films and TV from that year
TV drama "Sandcastle"TV drama "Queen Inhyeon"Film "Chilsu and Mansu"Film "Adada"Film "You, the Hollyhock"
🏆 Nobel Prizes that year
  • EconomicsMaurice Allais
  • LiteratureNaguib Mahfouz
  • PhysicsLeon Lederman, Melvin Schwartz, Jack Steinberger
  • Physiology or MedicineJames W. Black, Gertrude B. Elion, George H. Hitchings
  • PeaceUnited Nations Peacekeeping Forces
  • ChemistryJohann Deisenhofer, Robert Huber, Hartmut Michel

Source: Wikipedia · retold from the record

Life timeline for people born in 1988 🗓️

What someone born in 1988 becomes eligible for, year by year.

  1. Born
    1988Age 0
  2. Starts elementary school
    1995Age 6 · elementary

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

  3. Starts middle school
    2001Age 12 · middle school
  4. Can take a part-time job
    2003Age 15

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

  5. Starts high school
    2004Age 15 · high school
  6. Gets a resident registration card
    2005Age 17

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

  7. Can get a driver's licence
    2006Age 18

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

  8. Can vote
    2006Age 18

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

  9. Can buy alcohol and tobacco
    2007Year 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
    2007Age 19

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

  11. Military service examination
    2007Year age 19

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

  12. Statutory retirement ageUpcoming
    2048Age 60

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

  13. National Pension startsUpcoming
    2053Age 65

    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.

1988 by the numbers

What Korea's statistics office recorded about 1988.

Babies born in 1988

633,092babies

Then and now
  • When they were born633,092
  • Today (2025)624,003

99% of that year's babies are still here with us. ✨

  • Life expectancy at birth70.7 yrsMen 66.5 · Women 74.8Born in 2024: 83.7 yrs
  • Births per woman1.55Children per woman over a lifetimeIn 2025: 0.8
  • Sex ratio at birth113.2113.2 boys per 100 girls

Source: Statistics Korea - Birth Statistics(1970~2025) and Life Tables(~2024); Ministry of the Interior and Safety - Resident Registration Population(as of 2025) (KOSIS)

Famous people born in 1988 ⭐

Kim Soo-hyunActorFebruary 16, 1988 · 38 years old💛 Golden DragonG-DragonSingerAugust 18, 1988 · 37 years old💛 Golden DragonPark Seo-joonActorDecember 16, 1988 · 37 years old💛 Golden DragonTaeyangSingerMay 18, 1988 · 38 years old💛 Golden DragonOk Taec-yeonSinger, ActorDecember 27, 1988 · 37 years old💛 Golden DragonHahm Eun-jungSinger, ActorDecember 12, 1988 · 37 years old💛 Golden DragonCho KyuhyunSinger, ActorFebruary 3, 1988 · 38 years old💛 Golden DragonChangminSinger, ActorFebruary 18, 1988 · 38 years old💛 Golden Dragon
Who else was born in 1988?Everyone born in 1988

Frequently asked questions ❓

In 2026, someone born in 1988 is 38 if they've already had their birthday this year and 37 if they haven't. In Korean age they're 39, and their year age is 38.
Counting from 2026, a 37-year-old was born in 1988.
1988 is the year of the Golden Dragon. In the sexagenary cycle it's Mu-jin (戊辰), 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. 1988 runs 366 days and February goes all the way to the 29th, so some people born in 1988 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 🌐