New Delhi, 28th June 2023: South Koreans became a year or two younger as new legislation requiring the use of just the international method of reckoning age took effect on Wednesday, abolishing the country’s traditional method.
People are considered a year old at birth under the age system most widely employed in South Koreans’ daily lives, and a year is added every January 1.
Since the early 1960s, the country has utilised the worldwide standard of calculating from zero at birth and adding a year on each birthday for medical and legal papers. However some Koreans kept employing the traditional method.
South Korea approved legislation in December to phase out the traditional technique and completely adopt the international norm.
Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-kyu told a briefing, “Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-kyu told a briefing.”
Choi Hyun-ji, a 27-year-old office worker in Seoul, said, “ 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”
In South Korea, another age system exists for conscription, school entry, and determining the legal drinking and smoking age: a person’s age is determined from zero at birth and a year is added on January 1. Officials stated the method would be used indefinitely.
