South Koreans will become a year or two younger as the traditional age system is abolished world News

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South Korea has passed laws to scrap its traditional methods of calculating age and adopt the international standard instead – meaning many South Koreans are about to look a year or two younger.

Nowadays, South Koreans have a Korean age, where a person is one at birth and then gains a year on the first day of every new year. So a child born on December 31st will be considered to be two years old the next day.

A separate method also exists for purposes of conscription or calculating the legal drinking and smoking age. Under this system, a person’s age is calculated from zero at birth and a year is added on January 1.

However, South Korea also uses the international method of calculating age by starting from zero at birth and adding a year on each birthday.

To end any confusion, from June 23 the country will formally adopt the international system – at least in official documents.

The move aims to standardize how age is calculated in the country.

“The review aims to reduce unnecessary social and economic costs, because legal and social disagreements as well as confusion remain due to different ways of calculating age,” Yoo Sang-bum, of the ruling People’s Power Party, told parliament.

Jeong Da-eun, a 29-year-old office worker, is happy with the change.

She said she always had to think twice when she was asked outside how old she was.

“I remember aliens looking at me puzzled because it took me so long to come back with an answer about my age.”

She added, “Who among us does not welcome his youth by a year or two?”

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