Do you know your Korean horoscope?
People living in regions like Europe and the Americas commonly follow Western astrology signs categorizing people based on the day they were born. However, Korea’s horoscope, originating from ancient China, sorts people into 12 animal categories based on their birth year – Rat (쥐띠), Ox (소띠), Tiger (범띠 or 호랑이띠), Rabbit (토끼띠), Dragon (용띠), Snake (뱀띠), Horse (말띠), Sheep (양띠), Monkey (원숭이띠), Rooster (닭띠), Dog (개띠), and Pig (돼지띠). (The suffix ‘띠’ refers to zodiac type and is paired with an animal to create a full ‘Year of the ____’ phrase.)
Your Korean horoscope sign can be found by looking up which of these animals matches your Lunar birth year. If someone was born in 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938, or 1926, they were born during the Year of the Tiger.
In Korea, well-known public figures born in the Year of the Tiger include Oldboy actor Choi Min-sik, singer BoA, and Chung Mong-koo, the former CEO of Hyundai Motor Group. The Tiger is also prominent in Korean folklore and considered a representative animal of Korea due to its presence in Korean foundation mythology (“The Legend of Dangun”).
But what are people born in the Year of the Tiger like? Similar to Western astrology, each animal year comes with its own characteristics. Those born in the Year of the Tiger are seen as independent and active people who are brave and highly motivated. However, like real tigers, they are also known to be unpredictably hot-tempered and have a rebellious streak.
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