Life & Health · 🌏 Global

Korean BMI Calculator

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BMI calculator with Asia-Pacific classification and Korean pediatric growth charts (KCDC 2017).

About this tool

Korean BMI Calculator computes BMI = weight / height²(m) and shows side-by-side classification under both WHO international cutoffs (overweight 25 / obese 30) and Korean Society for the Study of Obesity (KSSO) 2022 cutoffs (overweight 23 / obese 25). Korean cutoffs are stricter, so a BMI of 24 reads as "WHO normal / KSSO overweight" — the tool surfaces both at once. Outputs include target-weight range for KSSO normal BMI (18.5~22.9), current gap, and kg/lb · cm/in unit toggles. Korean health checkups use KSSO, so this is a pre-checkup self-screen.

Use cases

Scenario 1

Pre-checkup self screen

A week before your company health check, BMI 24.2 reads "KSSO overweight" — set diet/exercise plans in advance.

Scenario 2

International comparison

Comparing with a US friend, BMI 26.5 reads as US overweight but KSSO Stage-1 obesity — both shown side-by-side.

Scenario 3

Target weight for weight loss

A 168cm woman targets ≤64.6kg (KSSO upper-normal 22.9), planning ~12 weeks at the safe 0.5~1kg/wk pace.

Scenario 4

Athletic build BMI clarification

A 12%-bodyfat bodybuilder reads BMI 27 "obese" — the tool flags BMI limits and points to waist circumference / bodyfat % measures.

Scenario 5

50s parent health check

Parents BMI 26.0 reads as KSSO Stage-1 obesity — time to schedule a family-medicine visit.

Features

  • Side-by-side WHO + KSSO Korean classification
  • Underweight / normal / overweight / obese 1~3
  • Auto target-weight range for normal BMI
  • kg/lb and cm/in unit toggles
  • Bilingual KR/EN UI
  • Inputs never leave your browser

Frequently asked

Q. Why do WHO and Korean cutoffs differ?
A. Asians have higher bodyfat %, CV, and diabetes risk at the same BMI vs Westerners — confirmed in epidemiology and recognized by WHO 2004. KSSO sets overweight 23 / obese 25.
Q. Is BMI 23~25 normal?
A. WHO normal but KSSO overweight. The Korean Family Medicine guidance recommends lifestyle change at BMI ≥23.
Q. Is BMI alone enough?
A. No. Athletic builds and elderly can be misclassified. Combine with waist circumference (M 90 / F 85cm KSSO), bodyfat %, and visceral fat.
Q. Children / pregnancy?
A. Adults only. Children/teens use KCDC growth-curve percentiles; pregnancy uses pre-pregnancy BMI + weight-gain guidance.
Q. Safe weight-loss pace?
A. 0.5~1kg/wk. >5%/month risks gallstones, muscle loss, and hair loss.

Sources / references

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How we run it / disclaimer

This tool is advisory and does not constitute legal, tax, medical, or financial advice. All calculations and document generation run in your browser; inputs are never sent to a server. Ads follow Google AdSense policy and are kept separate from tool accuracy.