한국어

The Rooster

Punctual and outspoken. Everything the Rooster carries in the Korean zodiac - birth years, ages in 2026, colors, and matches.

What the Rooster is likeThe rooster's crow was the old signal that the night was over, and the sign kept that role - early, loud, and honest about what it sees.
  • Up early and already busy
  • Plans things out and keeps track of the details
  • Holds itself to a standard and looks after itself
  • Says what's wrong out loud, sometimes before it's asked
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What the Rooster stands for

The traditional attributes of 酉, the Yu branch - none of them change with the year.

ElementMetal (金)
Hours17:00~19:00
DirectionDue west
Lunar monthMonth 8

The five colors of the Rooster

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 👇

Rooster birth years and ages

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

Birth yearYear nameKorean ageInternational age
2029 Golden Rooster (Gi-yu)Not yet
2017 Red Rooster (Jeong-yu)108 or 9
2005 Blue Rooster (Eul-yu)2220 or 21
1993 Black Rooster (Gye-yu)3432 or 33
1981 White Rooster (Sin-yu)4644 or 45
1969 Golden Rooster (Gi-yu)5856 or 57
1957 Red Rooster (Jeong-yu)7068 or 69
1945 Blue Rooster (Eul-yu)8280 or 81
1933 Black Rooster (Gye-yu)9492 or 93
1921 White Rooster (Sin-yu)106104 or 105
1909 Golden Rooster (Gi-yu)118116 or 117

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 Rooster?

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

The Rooster ranks #7 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 Rooster matches

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

💕 Best matches
OxThree HarmoniesSnakeThree HarmoniesDragonSix Harmonies
⚡ Handle with care
RabbitClashTigerFriction
  • 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 Roosters 🐔

IUSingerMay 16, 1993 · 33 years old🖤 Black RoosterSugaSingerMarch 9, 1993 · 33 years old🖤 Black RoosterSong Hye-kyoActorNovember 22, 1981 · 44 years old🤍 White RoosterJun Ji-hyunActorOctober 30, 1981 · 44 years old🤍 White RoosterKen JeongActorJuly 13, 1969 · 57 years old💛 Golden RoosterDoh Kyung-sooSingerJanuary 12, 1993 · 33 years old🖤 Black RoosterLee Dong-wookActorNovember 6, 1981 · 44 years old🤍 White RoosterLee TaeminSingerJuly 18, 1993 · 33 years old🖤 Black Rooster
Which stars share your Rooster year?Everyone born under the Rooster

The other eleven animals

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

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

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Frequently asked questions ❓

The Rooster comes around every twelve years. 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957 are all Rooster years, and the next ones are 2029, 2041, 2053. 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 Rooster year is 2017, and someone born then is 8 or 9 in 2026, or 10 in Korean age. The table above gives every other Rooster 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 2005 is a Blue Rooster while someone born twelve years later in 2017 is a Red Rooster - 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 🌐