culture close-up | Why Age is More Than Just a Number in Korea

Why is age so important in South Korea?

In American culture, it can be rather rude to ask someone their age, especially if you’ve just met.

In Korean culture, it’s not considered rude. In fact, it’s pretty important to know.

How come?

For starters, the Korean language uses honorific (존댓말) and non-honorific (반말) forms of speech. Age is one of the factors that determine which form of speech is appropriate to use.

For example, you would use honorific forms when speaking to someone older than you, as a show of respect.

It dates back to centuries of deeply embedded Confucian influences on Korean culture - filial piety, hierarchy, and so on. It’s a whole other story, but the TL; DR of it is: Korea is historically hard core about “respect your elders.”

Until last year, Korea had its own age system, distinctive from the international age system.

On the recently released “Single’s Inferno Season 3”, one person was shocked when she found out the age of her crush.

And upon learning another cast member’s age, one male cast member immediately starts calling him hyung, which translates to older brother or “bro,” a term used by a younger male.

Have you heard these terms used onscreen?

• eonni (언니): older female (“Sis”) addressed by a younger female

• noona (누나): older female addressed by a younger male

• hyung (형): older male (“Bro”) addressed by a younger male

• oppa (오빠): older male addressed by a younger female

The kinship terms above are solely based on age and gender, and are used in sibling and extended family relationships, platonic friendships, and romantic relationships. There’s also a hierarchy indicated.

Yes - very different relationships use the same terms.

If there is an age difference between two people - even if only by a year or two - the younger person will often still address the older person as noona, eonni, hyung, or oppa.

What about when you’re the same age? What about in the workplace?