한국어

Born in 2013

If you were born in 2013, you're 12 or 13 in 2026 - and your tti (Korean zodiac animal) is the Black Snake.

    Your age in 2026
  • International age12 or 13
  • Korean age14
  • Year age13
    • The year 2013
  • tti (Korean zodiac animal)Black Snake
  • Sexagenary cycleGye-sa (癸巳年)
  • Five element Water (水)
  • Leap yearCommon year
Was this page helpful?
Black SnakeGye-sa (癸巳年) · Water (水)

In the sexagenary cycle, 2013 is Gye-sa (癸巳年). Its heavenly stem carries the element Water (水), and that element decides the color - which makes it a year of the Black Snake (巳).

Born 12 years apart - same Snake
1977age 491989age 372001age 252025age 1

The year you were born: 2013

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

📰 What happened that year
  1. January 30🚀 The Naro-1 rocket lifted off successfully on its third try from Oenarodo in Goheung, South Jeolla Province.
  2. February 12☢️ North Korea carried out its third nuclear test at Punggye-ri in Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province.
  3. February 25🏛️ Lee Myung-bak's term as the 17th president ended, and Park Geun-hye's term as the 18th began the same day.
  4. May 4🏯 Sungnyemun, National Treasure No. 1, reopened after a restoration that also included its surrounding walls.
  5. June 13🎤 The idol group BTS debuted.
  6. July 6✈️ Asiana Airlines Flight 214, a Boeing 777, crashed on the runway at San Francisco airport.
  7. December 5🕊️ Former South African president Nelson Mandela died at 95.
  8. December 12⚖️ Jang Song-thaek, vice chairman of North Korea's National Defense Commission, was executed after a special military trial.
🎬 Films and TV from that year
TV drama "My Love from the Star"TV drama "The Heirs"TV drama "Reply 1994"Film "Miracle in Cell No. 7"Film "Snowpiercer"Film "The Attorney"
🏆 Nobel Prizes that year
  • EconomicsEugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen, Robert Shiller
  • LiteratureAlice Munro
  • PhysicsPeter Higgs, François Englert
  • Physiology or MedicineJames Rothman, Randy Schekman, Thomas Südhof
  • PeaceOrganisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
  • ChemistryMartin Karplus, Michael Levitt, Arieh Warshel

Source: Wikipedia · retold from the record

Life timeline for people born in 2013 🗓️

What someone born in 2013 becomes eligible for, year by year.

  1. Born
    2013Age 0
  2. Starts elementary school
    2020Age 6 · elementary

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

  3. Starts middle schoolThis year 🎉
    2026Age 12 · middle school
  4. Can take a part-time jobUpcoming
    2028Age 15

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

  5. Starts high schoolUpcoming
    2029Age 15 · high school
  6. Gets a resident registration cardUpcoming
    2030Age 17

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

  7. Can get a driver's licenceUpcoming
    2031Age 18

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

  8. Can voteUpcoming
    2031Age 18

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

  9. Can buy alcohol and tobaccoUpcoming
    2032Year age 19

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

  10. Legal adulthoodUpcoming
    2032Age 19

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

  11. Military service examinationUpcoming
    2032Year age 19

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

  12. Statutory retirement ageUpcoming
    2073Age 60

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

  13. National Pension startsUpcoming
    2078Age 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.

2013 by the numbers

What Korea's statistics office recorded about 2013.

Babies born in 2013

436,455babies

Then and now
  • When they were born436,455
  • Today (2025)442,131

There are more people registered now than were born that year. ✨

The resident register also counts people who became Korean citizens later, so it can run past the birth count.

  • Life expectancy at birth81.4 yrsMen 78.1 · Women 84.6Born in 2024: 83.7 yrs
  • Births per woman1.19Children per woman over a lifetimeIn 2025: 0.8
  • Sex ratio at birth105.3105.3 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)

Frequently asked questions ❓

In 2026, someone born in 2013 is 13 if they've already had their birthday this year and 12 if they haven't. In Korean age they're 14, and their year age is 13.
Counting from 2026, a 12-year-old was born in 2013.
2013 is the year of the Black Snake. In the sexagenary cycle it's Gye-sa (癸巳), and because the heavenly stem carries the element Water (水), the animal picks up the color Black. One catch: the tti turns over at ipchun, around February 4, so a birthday before that counts as the previous year's animal.
No. 2013 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 🌐