한국어

The Monkey

Clever and playful. Everything the Monkey carries in the Korean zodiac - birth years, ages in 2026, colors, and matches.

What the Monkey is likeThe problem-solver and the trickster. The Monkey is traditionally the sign that finds the shortcut nobody else noticed.
  • Sharp, and funny about it
  • Picks up new skills almost annoyingly fast
  • Good company, so it's rarely left out of anything
  • Changes its mind often, and gets bored faster still
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What the Monkey stands for

The traditional attributes of 申, the Sin branch - none of them change with the year.

ElementMetal (金)
Hours15:00~17:00
DirectionSouthwest
Lunar monthMonth 7

The five colors of the Monkey

Same animal, different color - the color depends on which turn of the 60-year cycle your year falls on.

Tap a year to see that year's ages and what happened in Korea 👇

Monkey birth years and ages

Every Monkey year with both Korean ages, as of 2026.

Birth yearYear nameKorean ageInternational age
2028 Golden Monkey (Mu-sin)Not yet
2016 Red Monkey (Byeong-sin)119 or 10
2004 Blue Monkey (Gap-sin)2321 or 22
1992 Black Monkey (Im-sin)3533 or 34
1980 White Monkey (Gyeong-sin)4745 or 46
1968 Golden Monkey (Mu-sin)5957 or 58
1956 Red Monkey (Byeong-sin)7169 or 70
1944 Blue Monkey (Gap-sin)8381 or 82
1932 Black Monkey (Im-sin)9593 or 94
1920 White Monkey (Gyeong-sin)107105 or 106
1908 Golden Monkey (Mu-sin)119117 or 118

Tap a birth year for that year's full breakdown - three Korean ages, the five element, and what was happening in Korea.

How common is the Monkey?

The twelve animals ranked by how many people living in Korea were born under each.

The Monkey ranks #5 of the twelve.

  1. 1 Pigabout 4.5M
  2. 2 Ratabout 4.4M
  3. 3 Oxabout 4.3M
  4. 4 Dogabout 4.3M
  5. 5 Monkeyabout 4.3M
  6. 6 Dragonabout 4.3M
  7. 7 Roosterabout 4.3M
  8. 8 Goatabout 4.3M
  9. 9 Tigerabout 4.2M
  10. 10 Snakeabout 4.2M
  11. 11 Rabbitabout 4.1M
  12. 12 Horseabout 4.0M

Source: Statistics Korea resident population, grouped by birth year (approximate - the ipchun cutoff isn't applied).

Who the Monkey matches

The pairings the twelve branches traditionally read as the easiest and the hardest.

💕 Best matches
RatThree HarmoniesDragonThree HarmoniesSnakeSix Harmonies
⚡ Handle with care
TigerClashRabbitFriction
  • Three Harmonies - One of four three-animal groups traditionally read as the strongest fit of all. This is where the Korean saying about a four-year age gap comes from.
  • Six Harmonies - Each animal has exactly one partner in this pairing, and the two are said to be easy company from the first day.
  • Clash - Sits directly opposite on the wheel - always a six-year gap. Opposite enough to argue, and opposite enough to learn from.
  • Friction - The odd one: nobody does anything wrong, and the two still end up quietly annoyed with each other.

Famous Monkeys 🐵

Cho Jung-seokActorDecember 26, 1980 · 45 years old🤍 White MonkeyPark Chan-yeolSingerNovember 27, 1992 · 33 years old🖤 Black MonkeyChun Jung-myungActorNovember 29, 1980 · 45 years old🤍 White MonkeyKim Seok-jinSingerDecember 4, 1992 · 33 years old🖤 Black MonkeyDaniel Dae KimActorAugust 4, 1968 · 58 years old💛 Golden MonkeyByun Baek-hyunSingerMay 6, 1992 · 34 years old🖤 Black MonkeyHyunaSingerJune 6, 1992 · 34 years old🖤 Black MonkeyKim Tae-heeActorMarch 29, 1980 · 46 years old🤍 White Monkey
Which stars share your Monkey year?Everyone born under the Monkey

The other eleven animals

Tap an animal to read its years, colors, and personality.

Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Rooster Dog PigAge by birth year →

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Frequently asked questions ❓

The Monkey comes around every twelve years. 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956 are all Monkey years, and the next ones are 2028, 2040, 2052. One catch: the animal turns over at ipchun, around February 4, so a birthday before that counts as the previous year's animal.
The most recent Monkey year is 2016, and someone born then is 9 or 10 in 2026, or 11 in Korean age. The table above gives every other Monkey birth year.
The animal repeats every 12 years, but the full year name pairs it with one of ten heavenly stems, so the whole cycle runs 60 years. That's why someone born in 2004 is a Blue Monkey while someone born twelve years later in 2016 is a Red Monkey - the color moves on each time, and an exact year name only comes back after 60 years.
The twelve animals and the 60-year cycle are shared across East Asia, so the years line up exactly. What's different is emphasis: Koreans lean much harder on the five colors, so you'll hear about a Golden Pig or a Blue Dragon year long before anyone mentions the stem itself.

Sources 🌐