한국어

The Ox

Patient and dependable. Everything the Ox carries in the Korean zodiac - birth years, ages in 2026, colors, and matches.

What the Ox is likeThe Ox is traditionally seen as the hardest worker of the twelve - the one you hand a long job to and stop worrying about.
  • Once it starts something, it finishes it
  • Earns trust quietly, over years rather than weeks
  • Keeps its word, which makes it the one people lean on
  • Digs in and won't bend, even when bending would be easier
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What the Ox stands for

The traditional attributes of 丑, the Chuk branch - none of them change with the year.

ElementEarth (土)
Hours01:00~03:00
DirectionNortheast
Lunar monthMonth 12

The five colors of the Ox

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 👇

Ox birth years and ages

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

Birth yearYear nameKorean ageInternational age
2021 White Ox (Sin-chuk)64 or 5
2009 Golden Ox (Gi-chuk)1816 or 17
1997 Red Ox (Jeong-chuk)3028 or 29
1985 Blue Ox (Eul-chuk)4240 or 41
1973 Black Ox (Gye-chuk)5452 or 53
1961 White Ox (Sin-chuk)6664 or 65
1949 Golden Ox (Gi-chuk)7876 or 77
1937 Red Ox (Jeong-chuk)9088 or 89
1925 Blue Ox (Eul-chuk)102100 or 101
1913 Black Ox (Gye-chuk)114112 or 113
1901 White Ox (Sin-chuk)126124 or 125

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 Ox?

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

The Ox ranks #3 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 Ox matches

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

💕 Best matches
SnakeThree HarmoniesRoosterThree HarmoniesRatSix Harmonies
⚡ Handle with care
GoatClashHorseFriction
  • 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 Oxs 🐮

RoséSingerFebruary 11, 1997 · 29 years old❤️ Red OxSong Joong-kiActorSeptember 19, 1985 · 40 years old💙 Blue OxJungkookSingerSeptember 1, 1997 · 28 years old❤️ Red OxYunjin KimActorNovember 7, 1973 · 52 years old🖤 Black OxCha Eun-wooSingerMarch 30, 1997 · 29 years old❤️ Red OxClaudia KimActorJanuary 25, 1985 · 41 years old💙 Blue OxArden ChoActorAugust 16, 1985 · 41 years old💙 Blue OxCho Mi-yeonSinger, ActorJanuary 31, 1997 · 29 years old❤️ Red Ox
Which stars share your Ox year?Everyone born under the Ox

The other eleven animals

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

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

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Frequently asked questions ❓

The Ox comes around every twelve years. 2021, 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961 are all Ox years, and the next ones are 2033, 2045, 2057. 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 Ox year is 2021, and someone born then is 4 or 5 in 2026, or 6 in Korean age. The table above gives every other Ox 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 2009 is a Golden Ox while someone born twelve years later in 2021 is a White Ox - 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 🌐