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Born in 1998

If you were born in 1998, you're 27 or 28 in 2026 - and your tti (Korean zodiac animal) is the Golden Tiger.

    Your age in 2026
  • International age27 or 28
  • Korean age29
  • Year age28
    • The year 1998
  • tti (Korean zodiac animal)Golden Tiger
  • Sexagenary cycleMu-in (戊寅年)
  • Five element Earth (土)
  • Leap yearCommon year
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Golden TigerMu-in (戊寅年) · Earth (土)

In the sexagenary cycle, 1998 is Mu-in (戊寅年). Its heavenly stem carries the element Earth (土), and that element decides the color - which makes it a year of the Golden Tiger (寅).

Born 12 years apart - same Tiger
1962age 641974age 521986age 402010age 162022age 4

The year you were born: 1998

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

📰 What happened that year
  1. February 7🏅 The Winter Olympics opened in Nagano, Japan.
  2. February 25🏛️ Kim Dae-jung began his term as South Korea's 15th president.
  3. May 21🇮🇩 Indonesian president Suharto stepped down after 32 years and was succeeded by President B. J. Habibie.
  4. June 25💻 Windows 98 was released.
  5. July 12⚽ France beat Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup final on home soil for its first title.
  6. August 31🚀 North Korea launched a Taepodong missile.
  7. November 11🌐 Tencent was founded in China.
  8. November 18🚢 The ship Geumgangho set sail, opening up tours to Mount Kumgang in North Korea.
⭐ Born that year
Lee Jung-hoo, baseball player (Kiwoom Heroes)Kylian Mbappé, French soccer playerShin Ye-eun, actorLee Jae-wook, actorMoonbin, singer (ASTRO). (d. 2023)Cheng Xiao, Chinese singer (WJSN)
🎬 Films and TV from that year
TV drama "See and See Again"TV drama "Mister Q"Film "Whispering Corridors"Film "Christmas in August"Film "A Promise"Film "Art Museum by the Zoo"
🏆 Nobel Prizes that year
  • EconomicsAmartya Sen
  • LiteratureJosé Saramago
  • PhysicsRobert B. Laughlin, Horst L. Störmer, Daniel C. Tsui
  • Physiology or MedicineFerid Murad, Louis J. Ignarro, Robert F. Furchgott
  • PeaceDavid Trimble, John Hume
  • ChemistryJohn Pople, Walter Kohn

Source: Wikipedia · retold from the record

Life timeline for people born in 1998 🗓️

What someone born in 1998 becomes eligible for, year by year.

  1. Born
    1998Age 0
  2. Starts elementary school
    2005Age 6 · elementary

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

  3. Starts middle school
    2011Age 12 · middle school
  4. Can take a part-time job
    2013Age 15

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

  5. Starts high school
    2014Age 15 · high school
  6. Gets a resident registration card
    2015Age 17

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

  7. Can get a driver's licence
    2016Age 18

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

  8. Can vote
    2016Age 18

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

  9. Can buy alcohol and tobacco
    2017Year 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
    2017Age 19

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

  11. Military service examination
    2017Year age 19

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

  12. Statutory retirement ageUpcoming
    2058Age 60

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

  13. National Pension startsUpcoming
    2063Age 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.

1998 by the numbers

What Korea's statistics office recorded about 1998.

Babies born in 1998

641,594babies

Then and now
  • When they were born641,594
  • Today (2025)636,192

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

  • Life expectancy at birth75.1 yrsMen 71.2 · Women 79Born in 2024: 83.7 yrs
  • Births per woman1.46Children per woman over a lifetimeIn 2025: 0.8
  • Sex ratio at birth110.1110.1 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 1998 ⭐

Kim Da-hyunSingerMay 28, 1998 · 28 years old💛 Golden TigerMoonbinSingerJanuary 26, 1998 · 28 years old💛 Golden TigerJeon SoyeonSingerAugust 26, 1998 · 27 years old💛 Golden TigerSoojinSinger, ActorMarch 9, 1998 · 28 years old💛 Golden TigerLee KnowSinger, ModelOctober 25, 1998 · 27 years old💛 Golden TigerBoo Seung-kwanSingerJanuary 16, 1998 · 28 years old💛 Golden TigerLee Jae-wookActorMay 10, 1998 · 28 years old💛 Golden TigerBibiSinger, ActorSeptember 27, 1998 · 27 years old💛 Golden Tiger
Who else was born in 1998?Everyone born in 1998

Frequently asked questions ❓

In 2026, someone born in 1998 is 28 if they've already had their birthday this year and 27 if they haven't. In Korean age they're 29, and their year age is 28.
Counting from 2026, a 27-year-old was born in 1998.
1998 is the year of the Golden Tiger. In the sexagenary cycle it's Mu-in (戊寅), 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.
No. 1998 is a common year - 365 days, and February ends on the 28th.
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 🌐