Samjae (삼재): Korea's Three 'Unlucky' Years, and Who's in Them Now

Samjae (삼재, 三災) is a three-year stretch that Korean tradition marks for each group of zodiac animals, roughly "the three hardships." It comes around once every twelve years, lasts three years in a row, and is famous mostly for one thing: grandmothers buying red paper talismans. If you were born in a Pig, Rabbit, or Goat year, you're in yours right now.

A four-panel version

How samjae works

The twelve zodiac animals fall into four groups of three, the same groups used in Korean zodiac compatibility. Each group has its own three samjae years, and they come back every twelve years. The three years even have names:

• Deul-samjae (들삼재): the year it comes in.
• Nul-samjae (눌삼재): the middle year, when it "sits."
• Nal-samjae (날삼재): the year it leaves.

Like everything in Saju (사주), the year turns at ipchun (입춘), around February 4, not on January 1. If you were born in January or early February, use the year before to find your animal.

What people actually do about it

Most people do nothing dramatic. Samjae works more like a family reminder than a rulebook: drive a little more carefully, think twice before a big risky move, don't sign the thing you didn't read.

The famous exception is the red paper talisman, the samjae bujeok (부적). Families, especially grandmothers, pick one up and tuck it into a wallet, a bag, or a car. Some families also visit a temple or a mudang (무당) for a small ceremony. Plenty of people carry the talisman mainly because it makes Grandma happy, which is a perfectly good reason.

The part people forget: samjae isn't only bad

Many readers talk about a "lucky samjae" (복삼재) as well, the idea that the same three years can bring a turn for the better, especially the last one. It's a helpful reminder that samjae is a season to notice, not a verdict. And it's only about the year animal, which is one of eight characters in a full birth chart. Two people with the same year animal can have very different years.

Common questions

Is 2026 a samjae year? Yes, for Pig, Rabbit, and Goat. 2026 is their middle year (nul-samjae). Their samjae ends with 2027.

Who is in samjae next? Tiger, Horse, and Dog, from 2028 to 2030.

Do I need a talisman? No. It's a tradition and a kind gesture, not a requirement. If someone in your family gives you one, the traditional response is "thank you."

Does Munyeo calculate samjae? Not as a separate marker. A full Saju reading looks at the whole chart, including how the current year's energy meets yours, which says more than the year animal alone.

For entertainment and self-reflection. Not advice.

See how this year meets your whole chart, not just your animal: Full Saju Reading