How old is Jungkook in Korean age? (2026)

Jeon Jungkook, the youngest member of BTS, was born on September 1, 1997. In 2026, here is how his age breaks down:

How Korean age works

Korean age follows two rules that make it different from international age. First, you start at 1 when you are born (the time in the womb counts). Second, everyone gains a year on January 1st, not on their birthday.

For Jungkook: 2026 minus 1997, plus 1, equals 30. His Korean age is 30세 for all of 2026, regardless of whether his September birthday has passed yet. His international age is 28 until September 1, when he turns 29.

So depending on the time of year, the gap between his Korean age and international age is either 1 or 2 years.

Why Jungkook is the "golden maknae"

In Korean, 막내 (maknae) means the youngest person in a group. Jungkook is BTS's maknae because he was born in 1997, making him younger than all six other members. In Korean culture, the maknae gets looked after by the older members, but also has to show respect using honorifics like hyung.

Jungkook calls every other BTS member hyung. Jin, the oldest (born 1992), gets called "Jin-hyung." That is a 5-year gap in Korean age terms.

Other idols born in 1997

Jungkook is not the only idol turning 30 in Korean age this year. He shares his birth year with:

• Lisa (Blackpink)
• Rosé (Blackpink)
• Cha Eun-woo (ASTRO)

In Korean terms, they are all 동갑 — same age. If they met, they could speak casually to each other without honorifics. Korean age does not care about the exact birthday. Same birth year means same age, all year long.

Want to find out your own Korean age and see which idols match? Try the calculator.