South Koreans grow younger from THIS day onwards. Here's how

South Koreans who have been complaining for remaining young, has a reason to rejoice. The people of this east Asian nation have become a year or two younger on Wednesday as the country’s traditional method has been replaced with new laws that require using only the international norm of counting age.

Laws were passed in South Korea in December to scrap the traditional method and fully adopt the international standard.

What is South Korea’s new age system?

Starting June 28, 2023, South Korea will use the international method of calculating from zero at birth and adding a year on every birthday for medical and legal documents.

What was South Korea’s traditional way of counting age?

As per the age system followed widely in South Koreans’ daily life, people are deemed to be a year old at birth and a year is added every January 1.

There is another age system in the country for conscription, school entrance and calculating the legal age to drink alcohol and smoke – a person’s age is calculated from zero at birth and a year is added on January 1. Officials said this method would remain for the time being.

There was a gradual shift since early 1960s to the international method of calculating the age, but many South Koreans retained the traditional method for everything else.

What South Koreans wanted?

A survey carried out by South Korean government in September 2022 revealed that 86 per cent of people said they would use international age in their everyday life.

How South Korean are reacting to new way counting age?

“I was about to turn 30 next year (under the traditional Korean age system) but now I have some more time earned and I love it,” Reuters quoted Choi Hyun-ji, a 27-year-old office worker in Seoul, as saying.

“It’s just great to feel like getting younger,” Choi added.

Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-Kyu said, “We expect legal disputes, complaints and social confusion that have been caused over how to calculate ages will be greatly reduced.”

With inputs from Reuters

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